Childhood Friends
by Teagarden
Summary: As a child, Ema grew up around the Asahina brothers as her friends until the day her father took her away to join him on his adventuring around the world. Now, he wants to give Ema the chance at a normal high school life by having her live with her old friends the Asahina brothers. What could possibly go wrong?
1. Adventure

A/N: I'm finally doing another brocon fic! I've wanted to for a while, but haven't been sure what to do. I eventually decided on this idea, the plot line of which was actually Littlest1's idea (used here with her permission). We discussed a little about how a plot line like this would play out and I thought it would be fun. Ema will be a little different in this since she had a bit of a different childhood. Enjoy!

 **Chapter 1: Adventure**

Ema tried to keep to keep her lip from trembling. She didn't want to make things more difficult for her father. And she was excited. Really, she was. It was just going to be hard. Really, really hard.

"Ema," Miwa said, reaching a hand toward the ten-year-old. Despite Ema's efforts, Miwa had still been able to tell she was upset. Ema went to her and hid her face in Miwa's stomach, hoping to hide the tears that wanted to spill. Miwa wrapped her arms around Ema, rubbing her back.

"You'll have so much fun," Miwa promised her. "And you'll be a lot less lonely being with your dad all the time. Now you'll get to see him every day instead of him being gone for weeks!"

Ema just stopped herself from saying when she wasn't lonely with her dad gone when she had the Asahina house to visit. She loved being with her dad, and _was_ excited to move with him overseas and now join him on all his adventures, but the Asahina house was always so much livelier than her own. She and her dad were just she and her dad. The Asahina house was always chaos with people coming and going and everyone wanting to know what was for dinner and who's turn it was to choose what they were watching on TV, and had anyone seen Azusa's glasses? She loved it.

"Yeah, Chi," Luis said, taking Ema from his mother's arms to wrap an arm around her shoulders. "Now you won't be alone at nights anymore. Or have to have dinner by yourself. Or breakfast." Luis knew how scared Ema sometimes got being home alone at night. Especially when there were strange noises around the apartment. "It'll be great to have your dad home every night and morning." He leaned down by her ear to add, "I'd love to have my mom home every day." He pulled back to smile. "But I understand that her work is important. Plus, you won't be all alone in a new place. In addition to your dad, you'll still have Juli. He's coming too, right?"

Ema nodded, wiping her eyes. "Y-yeah. Dad said Juli could come." She didn't know what she would have done if her pet squirrel, her companion through everything in life, hadn't been allowed to come. Luis was the only other person Ema had ever met who could also understand Juli. Juli liked most of the Asahina brothers okay, but Luis was the one he would really miss.

"Don't worry, little sister," Tsubaki said, kneeling and scooping Ema into his arms. "We'll miss you too and I promise I'll email you every week." He pouted at his mom behind Ema's back. "I always wanted a little sister and got seven little brothers instead. You're the closest I have to a little sister, of course I'll miss you." He put his hands on his shoulders and looked into her eyes. "Come back and visit, okay?"

"I'll try," Ema promised, sniffling. Her dad had said they wouldn't be able to come back to Japan for a while. He was under contract for a show that would track his adventures across the globe. He was popular enough that he was already under contract for several seasons, and they wouldn't be able to come back to Japan during that time. That was why Dad had told the producer he would only agree to the show if Ema got to come with him. The producer had agreed and was even providing a teacher for Ema while they traveled.

Her dad had promised they would eventually come back to Japan. Maybe not to live, but at least to visit. It was still a toss-up as to whether Ema was more excited to be joining her dad on his adventuring, or more upset to be living Japan and her friends.

"Every week?" Ema asked, making sure.

"Every week," Tsubaki promised. "You can yell at me through email if I ever forget and then I'll send you two emails the next week."

Ema nodded, happy to hear that. She hoped some of the other Asahina brothers would email her as well, but was too shy to ask.

"It will be an adventure," Masaomi said, patting Ema's head. "Imagine all the amazing things you'll see and experience by traveling with your father. You'll learn so much traveling the world. Send us pictures of the cool things you see, all right?"

Ema smiled and nodded. "I will!"

"And don't forgot us," Kaname added. "You'll meet so many amazing people and see so many incredible things that you'll probably forget all about Japan in no time. And then you'll meet plenty of cute boys and forget all about us." He winked. "Just wait until you're a little older before you say yes to any of those boys, okay?"

Ema blushed. "I won't meet any boys! I'll be in the mountains and in forests a lot of the time! There aren't any boys there." Or any girls either. Ema still worried about how she would make friends while she was gone.

"Mountain boys and forest boys," Kaname said. "Those are the best kind."

"There aren't any boys in the mountains or forests, like she said," Yusuke scowled. "There isn't anyone there. If anyone could do what Rintaro does, then he wouldn't be famous."

Ema got quiet. Despite the fact that Ema and Yusuke were the same age, Yusuke didn't seem to like her much. She was pretty sure he was annoyed by how much time she spent at the Asahina house. The two of them went to the same school and used to be good friends, but about a year ago, Yusuke started pulling away from her. She didn't know what happened or what she did, but he suddenly no longer wanted to play with her at school and ignored her at his house. It still hurt.

"I don't want Onee-chan to gooooo!" Wataru yelled, wrapping his arms around Ema's legs.

"I'll email you every week, just like Tsubaki will me," Ema said. "And Masaomi can read the emails to you. And I'll send you pictures!" Ema had been worried about how Wataru would take the news. The Asahina's father had dead a little over a year ago in a car accident, and Wataru was still sensitive over the idea of people leaving his life. Plus, with Miwa gone so much of the time, Ema was pretty sure she was the biggest female presence in Wataru's life. She certainly wasn't like a mother to him, but she was a little like an older sister.

"But Kana-nii just said you'll forget about us!" Wataru wailed. "I don't want you to forget me!"

Ema didn't want Wataru or the other Asahina's to forget her either, but Wataru was so young. Would he forget all about Ema in a year or two? Would the other Asahinas? She was just a neighbor girl who played at their house a couple times a week.

"Kaname was only joking," Masaomi assured Wataru, gently pulling him away from Ema. "Now you need to let go of Ema, or she can't go take cool pictures to send you." Masaomi picked Wataru up and Wataru buried his face in Masaomi's shoulder, crying.

Ema felt a little spark of envy. She wished she had a brother like Masaomi. She'd secretly wished plenty of times that she was part of the Asahina family. A large, loving family where she would never be alone. Now she wouldn't even have that. Of course, now she would have her father, she told herself. Now they'd be more like a real family where she would get to see her father every day. It would be good.

"Make sure to learn all you can," Ukyo advised. "You'll be exposed to a lot of cultures, which will let you learn different ways of thinking. All that experience will really help you later in life if you take advantage of it."

"Right," Ema agreed, trying to look serious. Internally, she was giggling a little. Of course, that was Ukyo's main concern. Traveling the world on adventures and all he cared about was what Ema might learn.

"You'll have such a good time," Hikaru promised her. "If you forget about you'll be in trouble, but I do think you'll be too amazed to spend much time missing us. Instead, you'll have lots of fun things to email us all about. And who knows, maybe we'll even come see you one day."

"Good luck," Iori said. "I hope you have a lot of fun."

"Thanks," Ema said. "Good luck with getting into Bright Centraire." Iori had one more year before junior high and was aiming to get into one for super smart kids. Ema had little doubt of his ability to make it in. He was the smartest kid she knew and had helped her with her homework more than once.

"Thanks," Iori said, giving her his princely smile. It made all the girls in the neighborhood swoon, but Ema was used to it with all the time she spent around the Asahinas. It was hard to imagine her being impressed with 'cute guys', as Kaname said, after being exposed to Iori. And Fuuto. Fuuto was also shaping up to be a really cute kid, but he was a brat. Fuuto told Ema to her face that it was annoying to have her around all the time and that she should find her own family. Kaname had banished Fuuto to his room for saying that. Fuuto wasn't even there. No doubt he was happy Ema was leaving.

Subaru might also be happy about Ema going, but he was too nice to say so. He was at least there at the airport to see her off. Honestly, Ema didn't know whether Subaru liked her not. He never spoke to her, so she assumed he didn't. Natsume wasn't there either, but he had a track practice that day, so couldn't make it. He'd texted her to wish her good luck though.

"All right," Rintaro said, checking his watch. "It's about time we went through security so we make sure we catch our flight on time. Are you ready, Ema?"

Miwa and each brother other than Yusuke and Subaru gave Ema one final hug goodbye, and then they were gone.


	2. Messages

A/N: This chapter by no means is meant to encompass all the messages between Ema and the Asahaina brothers. I just wanted to give a snap shot of what some of the messages were like and give a small overview of some of what happened during Ema's years abroad. Also, thank you to everyone who reviewed the first chapter!

 **Chapter 2: Messages**

 _Year 1_

Wataru:

Hi Onee-chan! Masaomi is helping me write this email. Thanks for the pictures of the Great Wall of China. It looks really cool and I wish I was there with you. I started kindergarten and I'm doing really well. I already made new friends! I hope you're making friends in China.

Love,

Wataru

P.S. This is Masaomi, thanks again for sending us pictures like you promised. We love them and Tsubaki has the picture of you and your dad in front of the Great Wall of China hanging in his room. It was great to hear that you're doing well and having fun. Send us more pictures when you can!

Ukyo:

Ema, thank you for sending me the facts you learned about Chinese history and law. They were quite interesting to read. You should keep a journal of all the places you go and the things you learn. Having a record of everywhere you've lived might help you when it's time for you to enter college. Universities like to look for applicants with a variety of experiences who are willing to work hard and try new things.

Best,

Ukyo

Azusa:

Ema, thank you for the pictures. China looks amazing. Masaomi and Ukyo were saying maybe our family should take a trip there since it's not too far away, though you and your dad will have already moved on by the time we'd be able to make it (it can take a long time to get a passport and we'd have to get one for everyone in the family). Send me some recommendations of where we should travel and what we should do in case we end up going. Also, I'm sure Tsubaki has already emailed you this, but he told me to remind you to send him more pictures with you in them. He likes the scenery and historical buildings, but he'd prefer that you be in the pictures.

Sincerely,

Azusa

 _Year 2_

Ema to Tsubaki:

Tsubaki, I hate to get involved in your family matters when they really don't involve me, but I have to say I think it's good you're not letting Ukyo's opinion sway your decision. I know that Ukyo only wants what's best for you, but being a voice actor has been your dream for as long as I've known you. I understand Ukyo feeling like going to a voice acting college next year is a risky decision, but you'll never know if you can succeed at it if you don't try. It would be terrible if you spent years regretting not trying to become a voice actor and always wondering what might have happened. I say good luck and best wishes! Also, the food in Mongolio is amazing. I wish I could send some of it to you. Maybe I'll send a few recipes to Ukyo for him to try.

Sincerely,

Ema

Ema to Luis:

Luis, I'm glad to hear you liked the hairstyle photos I sent you! I thought you would find them interesting. It's sweet of you to say you'd like to try some of the styles out on me. Maybe I'd stand out a little less if I looked a little more like the people around me. Oh well. Dad says he never would have gotten to where he's at in his career if he didn't stand out, and that's true.

I do (hopefully) have some good news, though! There's another adventurer from Japan who the producer wants to bring in on the show for an episode. If the episode does well, this adventurer will occasionally be invited back to work with my dad for some episodes. This is good news because he has a daughter about my age and he's bringing her with him! I'm excited to meet her and hope we get along well.

Sincerely,

Ema

Ema to Hikaru:

Hikaru, here's the pictures you asked for. But why did you want pictures of what normal women on the streets of Russia are wearing? Do you have a Russian girlfriend you're trying to buy a gift for?

Sincerely,

Ema

 _Year 3_

Ukyo:

Ema, thank you for the recipes from Spain. Everyone loves it when we get to try something new, and I appreciate you sending me recipes that are easy to make for a lot of people. Since I've started law school I have a lot less time for chores around the house, so it's nice to have simple recipes. Every little bit helps. Tsubaki calls the nights we have your recipe International Dinner nights, and Wataru says it helps everyone to feel a little bit closer to you. Almost like we're eating next door to you instead of a few continents away. I hope you're still keeping up on your journal of all the places you've been.

Best,

Ukyo

Luis:

Chi, I'm happy to hear Tachibana has been a great success on the show with your father and that you've become such good friends with his daughter. Arisa sounds like a lot of fun. I understand you felt a little weird hanging out with a girl two years older than you, but you can find people all over the place you have stuff in common with or get along well with. Just look at us Asahina brothers. We're all kinds of ages and into all kinds of things, but you got along well with most of us. I've started taking classes outside of school for cutting hair. I want to be beautician when I graduate from high school. I'll have to do a little more school, but I don't think it will take me too long. I hope to have an opportunity to try out what I'm learning on you soon.

Also, I heard from Masaomi and Wataru that you're in the Mediterranean right now. It can get pretty humid there, so make sure you take extra care with brushing Juli's fur regularly. I'd hate for it to get tangled because of the humidity.

Love,

Luis

Hikaru,

Ema, darling, I was thrilled to hear your next stop will be in Italy. That's where I'm heading. We'll have to meet up. And since you'll be in Europe for a while and I'll be nearby in Italy, we'll have to make plans to meet up again while we're close. I'd love an excuse to visit France. Be a dear and send me the itinerary for your father's show, would you?

Ciao,

Hikaru

 _Year 4_

Ema to Hikaru:

Hikaru, thank you for visiting us in Greece. I'm so excited I've gotten to see you two times within a year! And I'm happy you got to meet Arisa this last time. She's a really wonderful friend, and I'm grateful to have a friend with me on some of the adventures my dad does for the show. It's so nice to go to a new area and already know someone. I'm glad to hear your having such good luck passing as a woman in Italy. It sounds like you're getting great research for your book. Let me know when your second book comes out! I'm sure I'll love it as much as the first.

Also, about Carlos, you were right about him. He was a jerk. Maybe Dad was right and I'm too young to date right now.

Sincerely,

Ema

Ema to Tsubaki:

Tsubaki, your new anime is amazing! It's so incredible that you just graduated from voice acting college last year and are already getting jobs (actually—it's not incredible, _you're_ incredible and that's why you're getting these jobs!). I was so excited to hear your voice when you sent me your first anime that I screamed. Dad came running out to see what was wrong. We'll be in Canada next and my friend Arisa will be there. I'll have to show her your new anime. I think she'll like it (and be as amazed at your voice as I am).

Also, I plan to email Azusa as well, but let him know that his ending scene in episode three gave me chills! I love watching anime and hearing your guys' voices. I'll have to buy the game you guys have coming out in a few months.

Sincerely,

Ema

Ema to Natsume:

Natsume, thank you for the game recommendation! World War Zombie is amazing! Though Dad feels like I'm staying up too late playing it, so he's not nearly as excited about the game as I am. It's so cool that you work for our favorite game company. I hope you're enjoying it. And it's cool that Azusa and Tsubaki voice some of the games you work on! Is it fun to work with the twins? They seem to be becoming popular quickly.

Have you heard of the MMORPG Fantasia Dawning? I don't know if you're into RPGs (because zombie games and stuff like that _are_ more fun), but this one is pretty awesome. I started playing it a few months ago. You can choose to be a necromancer and raise an army of the dead! Maybe you should include that in one of your company's games down the line.

Sincerely,

Ema

 _Year 5_

Natsume:

Ema, have you bought the new expansion pack in Fantasia Dawning? It really helped me get through the demon realm. I remember you said in your last email that you were struggling with that area. Let me know.

Best,

Natsume

Wataru:

Ema, I made the soccer team at my school! Ukyo told me that in the United States where you are they eat lots of peanut butter. I hadn't ever tried it, so we went to the store and got some. I like it! Have you tried peanut butter yet? Anyway, you probably can't be on a sports team since you're always traveling, but do you have a favorite sport? Masaomi promised he'd film me playing my first game so I could send it to you. Look forward to it!

Love,

Wataru

Ukyo:

Ema, I hope your using your time in the United States to develop your English. A lot of schools in Japan look favorably upon students who can speak English well (assuming you might want to return here when it's time for you to attend university).

Work at my law firm is going well, thank you for asking. I heard a rumor that one of my brothers told you I got into a less prestigious law firm because I was a mess after a bad break-up. I hope you know better than to pay attention to such a silly rumor. There's no truth to it all. You can send me your next email in English if you want to practice.

Best,

Ukyo

 _Year 6_

Ema to Hikaru:

Erik is such a nice guy! I'm sad I'll be leaving the United States soon. He said he wants to try to keep our relationship up long-distance. He likes to travel and his parents promised to help him pay for a plane ticket to wherever Dad and I are. I'm not sure what Dad thinks of this since he told me it's up to me whether to keep dating Erik or not. I do think he likes Erik and his parents (Dad met them after Erik's and mine second date). Part of me wants to try it, but part of me feels like it won't work out in the long-run and prolonging it will just make the end that much harder. What do you think?

Also, I followed your advice and Erik kissed me on our date last week. My first kiss!

I'm excited to see you in Brazil. I hope Dad's filming in Mexico goes fast so I'll be able to see you sooner.

Ciao!

Ema

Ema to Miwa:

Hi Miss Miwa! It was great to hear from you. The traveling does get hard sometimes, but I've been able to have so many wonderful experiences, and I love being with dad so much of the time. I do miss going to a regular school. I never even went to junior high and it's sad to think I'll never go to high school. Who would think that anyone would miss not having silly things like lockers and taking the train to school? At least I'll have my pick of universities, as Ukyo likes to say. I could go to Europe, North America, South America, Australia…I'm still strongly considering Japan, though. I haven't been there since I was ten, but it still feels a little like home. It is where I've lived the longest, after all. Dad and I never stay anywhere for more than a few months. I hope everything is going well at work. Where do you travel next? It was really fun to meet up with you in Rio. It's too bad Hikaru had to return to Italy right before you came to visit us.

Sincerely,

Ema

Ema to Kaname:

Kaname, Hikaru let me know he let slip to you that I had a boyfriend. So you see? I met a cute guy, and I _didn't_ forget about you guys. I've been emailing you for a year while dating and you didn't even know it! Hikaru told me to expect an email from you asking about my boyfriend, so I guess I'll wait until I receive your email, but in the meantime here's a picture of the two of us standing in front of Mount Rushmore. It's kind of an old picture since it's from six months ago, but I think it's a pretty good picture of Erik (my boyfriend).

Sincerely,

Ema


	3. Offer

**Chapter 3: Offer**

"Ema!"

Ema jumped, surprised at the loud voice. "What?" She asked, turning from Fantasia Dawning.

Her father shook his head. "I've been trying to get your attention for a minute now, Ema. You pay too much attention to those games of yours."

Ema didn't point out that they had just moved to a brand new country last week. She'd already explored the area outside their temporary condo and she'd finished all her homework. That left gaming. Ema did plenty of exploring with her dad, but her schooling didn't take a full eight hours and she rarely made friends when they traveled. It was too hard when they were only in one place for two or three months maximum and she didn't attend school. Or speak the language. That left a lot of time for gaming.

The only times Ema interacted with live people other than the TV crew was when Arisa and her dad were visiting or the rare times Hikaru visited. There had also been Erik for a while…but that was over now. At least she sometimes played MMORPGs and interacted with people that way. Couldn't her dad be happy about that?

"Sorry," she apologized. "I'm working with another guy to get through the crystal ice caves. It's really treacherous, so it needs a lot of attention. And I'm looking out for this guy's character as well as my own."

"Guy?" Rintaro said, his eyebrowed climbing his forehead.

"It's just a game, Dad," Ema reassured him. "It's a guy who's sometimes my rival and sometimes my ally on Fantasia Dawning. He's really good, so it's fun to compete with him, but you don't have to worry about anything happening because he lives in Japan. It's not like I'll ever meet him."

"Right," Rintaro said, a frown pulling at the corners of his mouth. "Japan. I wanted to talk to you about that."

"About Japan?" Ema asked, confused. She typed a quick message to 2CatPresident to let him know she had to go offline for a moment, then turned all her attention on her dad. "What about Japan?" They had spoken some about college since it was a little over two years away, but her dad had never pressured her to choose any school in particular. Had he decided she should attend a college in Japan?

"Well," Rintaro rubbed his palms over his khakis as though nervous. "I had a long conversation with Miwa over what we feel is best for you. And this is part of it." He waved vaguely at the computer.

"MMORPGs?" Ema asked, still confused.

"I mean the gaming," Rintaro said. "I know you do a lot outside with me, but you also spend a lot of time playing video games instead of interacting with kids your age. I mean _real_ kids your age, not people over a computer screen in some fantasy world."

Ema pushed down the resentment that tried to rear its head. How was she supposed to make friends or socialize when she didn't go to school? It wasn't as though her father did much socializing outside of his work either. And she talked to Juli all the time, even while she was playing video games, though she had the feeling her dad wouldn't count him as social interaction. Was he going to try to take her games away? She'd go insane. Then she ran the first thing he'd said through her mind again.

"Wait, what does Miss Miwa have to do with this? Why were you talking about what's best for me with her?"

"It was all her idea. Well, she came up with the idea, but I agree with it. At least, if you're interested I agree with it."

"Dad," she said, half laughing. "What is the idea?" Her father's nerves were almost comical, though they were making her nervous.

Rintaro took a deep breath and let it out. "Miwa let me know that after talking with you through email she's concerned you're missing out on vital life experiences. She pointed out that while you've gotten to live a life few ever get to experience, you're also missing out on a lot of important moments most people take for granted. She—I mean we, are also concerned you might be at a disadvantage when you start college since you haven't been in a structured school setting since you were in elementary. You get good grades, but it's still a different experience."

"Okay," Ema said, rolling her hand to encourage her father to continue his story. "And all this talking led to the idea that…?"

"That it would be good for you to attend a regular high school," Rintaro finally said. "You know the contract for the show was renewed for another few years, so I couldn't be with you and you're too young to live on your own. I know you can take care of yourself, but I'm not comfortable with you living in an apartment by yourself, not being a young lady like you are." Did that mean if she was a boy he would be comfortable with her living on her own? "So, Miwa thinks you should move in with the Asahinas while you complete high school in Japan."

Ema's jaw dropped.

~.~

"Mom, what's this big announcement about?" Tsubaki asked, leaning against the back of the couch. "Azusa and I have voice overs in a little over half an hour. We'll have to leave soon."

"I know," Miwa said, patting the air in a gesture meant to tell Tsubaki to be patient. "I'm grateful you all came here on such short notice. Well, everyone except Hikaru since he's still in Italy and Fuuto since he's on tour. I know you all have busy schedules, but this is important. I think this is a really great idea, but I won't do it without your permission."

"Won't do what without our permission?" Wataru asked, swinging his legs.

Miwa smiled at her sons, looking both excited and a little anxious. "Well, I know Ema has had an amazing time traveling with her father and learning all kinds of things, but I think it would be great if we could give her a normal high school experience."

"We?" Yusuke asked, eyebrows crinkling in confusion. "How could we give her a normal high school experience?"

Miwa knew she should have discussed this idea with her sons before bringing it up with Rintaro, but she was pretty certain they would agree.

"By letting her live here during her last two years of high school," Miwa explained. "She doesn't have any family in Japan she could stay with and Rintaro is still under contract for a while yet, which means he'll have to keep traveling. If Ema is going to attend school, Rintaro wants her staying with people he trusts. That means us." She looked around at her assembled sons. "Well? What do you think of this plan?"

"That's a fantastic idea!" Tsubaki cried, jumping to his feet. "Then Ema would be even more like my little sister!"

"W-wait," Yusuke stuttered. "You want Ema to live _here_? In this house? With us?"

"I don't want a girl living here," Subaru blurted, hoping to get his opinion in before anyone else could speak. His words were drowned out by Wataru cheering.

"Yay! Yay! Yay! Onee-chan will come live with us!" He pumped his fists in the air. "And then maybe she'll love it here and decide to go to college in Japan and stay even longer! That would be the best." He turned to Masaomi. "Wouldn't that be great Mao-nii? Don't you think Ema should come live with us?"

"I think it would be a great idea," Masaomi agreed, smiling down at Wataru. "It would be wonderful for Ema to be able to have a normal high school experience, and to have a stable home after traveling around the world so much. It wouldn't be difficult for us to feed one more mouth, would it, Ukyo?"

"Of course not," Ukyo said. "I would be happy to have Ema here." He gave Yusuke a stern look. "Ema is an excellent student from everything I've heard from her and Rintaro. You should follow her example. I think it would be good for you to have a good role model attending school with you."

"Attending my school?" Yusuke squeaked, his face turning red. "Why my school?"

"Because your high school is closest, Yusuke," Miwa said. "Is there a problem with her going to your school?"

"Well, I mean, won't that be kind of weird if we go to school together and live together?" Yusuke said desperately.

"Of course not," Tsubaki said, smacking the back of Yusuke's head. "Didn't you hear what I said? Ema will be like our sister. Of course siblings close in age live together and go to school together. It's not weird at all."

"Technically speaking, you said Ema would be like _your_ sister, not _our_ sister," Azusa pointed out dryly.

Tsubaki waved him off. "Close enough."

"Wait a minute," Subaru burst out. "Don't we all get a say in this? I don't want a girl living with us. It'll mess everything up."

"Now Subaru," Masaomi began, frowning at his little brother, "this is something really nice that we're able to do for Ema. She's been our friend for a long time. If we don't let her live with us, she won't be able to go to a normal high school. She'll have to keep traveling with her father. Don't you think that would be hard? She's been doing it for nearly seven years now. Do you want to deny her this opportunity just because the idea makes you a little uncomfortable?"

"She's wasn't my friend," Subaru muttered under his breath, but turned his head away so his brothers wouldn't hear.

"I think it would be great to have a feminine touch around the house," Kaname said. "There's way too much testosterone with all us boys."

"Mmhmm," Louis agreed. "I'll finally be able to show Chi what I've learned and be able to do her hair. It will be wonderful to see her again, and even better to have her so close by."

"Iori, what do you think?" Subaru asked, hoping someone else would agree with him.

"I think it would be great to help out our childhood friend. Ema's kept in contact with us all these years, so we know we're still important to her. I agree with Tsubaki in that she and her father are kind of like extended family. I don't have any problem with her coming. She can stay in Natsume's room." Iori looked to Natsume to see if he was okay with that.

Natsume shrugged. "It affects all of you a lot more than it affects me, so I don't really feel like I should have a say in this, but I do think it would be nice to see her again, and all that moving around is probably tiring."

"It's settled then," Miwa said with a pleased nod. "I'll email Rintaro and tell him to send Ema before the school year begins."

Wataru and Tsubaki cheered while Subaru sunk lower into his seat, a scowl on his face.


	4. Reunion

**Chapter 4: Reunion**

"Do you really think this is a good idea, Chi?" Juli asked, pacing on Ema's shoulder as Japan came into sight from the airplane window.

"Of course it's a great idea," Ema said, unable to help her smile at the sight beneath her. She put one hand to the window of the plane, as though she could somehow reach the ground below. Home. She was going home and she'd get to live surrounded by people she knew and cared for instead of living surrounded by strangers. It had been such a long time since she'd had that. "Why wouldn't it be a good idea?"

Juli stopped his pacing to stare at Ema. His stare had no affect since her gaze was still on the coast of Japan. "I would think that would be obvious, Chi. You're a vulnerable young lady and your moving into a house with _eleven_ boys living there. That's eleven wolves out for vulnerable young flesh like yours!"

Ema finally looked at Juli. "Wolves? These are the Asahina brothers, Juli, not wolves. They aren't strangers and they've been our friends for years. Why are you worried?"

"Because you were just a little girl when we left!" Juli said, flapping his arms frantically. "Now you're a beautiful young woman and they're a bunch of young men still with teenage hormones! It's a recipe for disaster. Like throwing a baby gazelle into a den of lions. Things are different now, Chi. You need to be aware of that."

"You're being ridiculous," Ema told Juli gently. "The Asahinas are like extended family. They're doing us a favor by letting us live with them." She took Juli into her hands so she wouldn't have to crane her neck to look at him. "I get to go to a real school now, Juli. And you won't have to worry about me getting lost in the streets because we won't be living in a new city or country every few weeks or months. Aren't you excited about that?"

"Of course I am, Chi," Juli said, softening a little. "I know all this traveling and change has been hard on you. I just think you should go into this situation a little more cautiously than you are. Keep your eyes wide open and keep me by your side at all times in that house, okay? At least until we know what the situation is."

"The situation is that we're moving in with old friends," Ema said gently. "Things might be a little different now that we're all older, but I don't think they'll be that different. I am a lot younger than a lot of the Asahina brothers, after all. I don't think they'd be interested in a little girl like me. I appreciate your concern, but I think you're worrying over nothing, Juli."

~.~

Hikaru opened his latest email from Ukyo and the words inside it made him put his coffee down.

"Well, well, well," he murmured. "Looks like my brothers are finally going to see the lovely woman our little Ema Hinata has blossomed into." It was too bad he wouldn't be there to see their first reaction. Of course, he _had_ been away from home for a long time. Maybe it was time he paid a visit to Japan.

~.~

"Why do you have flowers?" Yusuke asked, glaring at the bouquet in Iori's arms.

"To welcome Ema back, of course," Iori said. "It's been over six years since we last saw her."

"That's right," Tsubaki said, bumping the back of Yusuke's head with his elbow. His hands were full of chocolates. "We need to welcome her back properly. _Most_ of us wanted to do something nice for her. I don't know why you're even here since you don't even care. You should have gone and played basketball with Subaru."

"Whatever," Yusuke muttered, shoving his hands in his pockets. He wasn't so much upset that his brothers had bought gifts for Ema, but that he hadn't thought of it. He wasn't mad that Ema was coming back like some of his brothers thought, he just…didn't know what to think of it.

He'd have been ecstatic to hear that Ema and her dad were moving back to Japan, but hearing that she was moving in with them…How was he supposed to handle the only girl he'd ever liked moving into his house? Not that he'd talked to her since she'd left. He'd seen some of the pictures she sent his brothers though, and she was even cuter than when she'd left. He wondered if she was still as kind and sweet as she'd been or if living abroad had changed her.

Ema Hinata had been the cutest, kindest, and smartest girl he'd known when they were little. A fact he hadn't realized until he turned nine. And then he'd turned into an idiot and avoided her like the plague. He didn't want his friends making fun of him for having a crush, and after realizing how cute Ema was, he hadn't known how to act around her, so he'd avoided her entirely instead. He was still mad at himself for that.

Ema had been one of his best friends and he'd hurt her without her even knowing why. Not that he wanted her to know why. He'd have rather that he'd never been stupid enough to hurt her in the first place. He wanted to make it up to her with her coming back, but it would be so much easier of she wasn't living with them. If they just went to school together he could help her out. Show her where her classes were, eat lunch with her…With them living together things would be awkward.

Of course, maybe Ema wouldn't want anything to do with him after the way he'd treated her. He would totally deserve it if she did feel that way, but he really hoped she didn't.

~.~

Ema had butterflies in her stomach as she went down the escalator to baggage claim. What if things were different now? Not in the way Juli was worried about, but maybe the Asahina brothers would find her annoying now. Maybe she was okay as a neighbor that visited, but not okay as a live-in house guest. She didn't even know how most of the brothers felt about her moving in with them. Once she'd been able to turn airplane mode off on her phone she'd received a text from Tsubaki saying they were picking her up at the airport and couldn't wait to see her, but maybe only Tsubaki felt that way.

She'd just stepped off the escalator when a voice cried, "Onee-chan!" Arms wrapped around her and a head with a mop of hair buried itself in her stomach, hiding the greeter's face.

"Wataru?" Ema asked, pulling him back a little. She couldn't imagine who else it might be, but she wanted to make sure.

He grinned up at her, keeping his arms tight. "Welcome back, Onee-chan!"

Ema returned his smile, wrapping her arms around him. She was surprised at the tears that came to her eyes. She hadn't expected to feel emotional about returning. Excited, yes, but not tearful. Maybe she'd missed Japan more than she'd realized. Or maybe it was the Asahinas she'd missed more than she realized, or maybe Japan and the Asahinas were all rolled into one for her.

"All right, Wataru," a vaguely familiar voice said. "Let Ema have some breathing room, okay?"

Ema looked up to see Masaomi gently tugging Wataru away. It was so familiar to the last sight she'd seen of the two of them that it again almost brought tears. Masaomi looked almost the same as he had that day. Wataru, of course, was much taller.

"Breathing room? What would she need breathing room for?" A much more familiar voice asked before she was engulfed in another hug, though this greeter was taller than her.

"Tsubaki!" Ema exclaimed, throwing her arms around his shoulders. His voice was very familiar thanks to all the anime and games he voiced that she'd watched and played. She was amazed at how good it felt to see him in person.

"He's hugging you!" Juli hissed. "This is not a friendly hug! This is a 'you're a man and I'm a woman hug'!" Ema ignored him. It would be weird if good friends _didn't_ hug after not seeing each other for years.

"Welcome home," Tsubaki said in her ear.

"You're all going to have to stop saying that to me," Ema said with a laugh. "Or you're going to make me cry."

"That's okay," Tsubaki said, tightening his arms. "Go ahead and cry on my shoulder. We'll be living together, so we'll be like family, right? Big brothers are for crying fits when you need to have them."

Family. She was going to be living with a family, and a real one, not a TV one made of camera crews and producers and directors. She remembered wishing she was part of the Asahina family as a little girl. Now she'd get her wish. In a way, anyway.

"Don't squeeze her to death," a rough, annoyed voice said. "You're going to chase her away before she even gets to the house."

"The only thing that's going to chase her away is your ugly face," Tsubaki shot back, but pulled away from Ema.

Ema was surprised to see that the speaker had red hair. Yusuke. She hadn't expected him to be here. "Oh, hi, Yusuke," she said awkwardly. She wondered why he came to help pick her up. He, Subaru, and Fuuto were the only Asahina brothers she hadn't had any contact with since leaving Japan.

"Hey," he said, staring at the ground rather than her. He glanced at her for a moment before looking back at the ground. "Welcome back."

His welcome was far less exuberant than Tsubaki's and Wataru's, but it was probably the best she could hope for. Maybe he wasn't thrilled with her moving in with them, but was trying to be nice about it. If he could try, so she could she. She would be encroaching on his space, after all. "Thank you."

"We're happy to have you back in Japan and staying with us," Iori said, holding out a bouquet of flowers to Ema.

"For me?" She gasped. For a moment her mind flashed to Carlos, the only guy who had ever given her flowers, but she shoved that thought away. Carlos and Iori were nothing alike. Plus, he'd only given her single flowers. A rose or a tulip. This was a beautiful arrangement. "This is amazing, Iori," she said, taking the flowers from him. It made her heart happy that Tsubaki and Wataru weren't the only Asahina brothers happy about her coming to live with them. "Thank you."

"Flowers, huh?" Juli muttered, crossing his arms and leaning against Ema's ear. "This one's making his move early. I'll have to watch out for him." Sometimes, it was really inconvenient not being able to talk to Juli while other people were around. If only everyone could understand him. Then again, maybe it was best the Asahina brothers _didn't_ know what he was saying.

"I'm glad you like them," Iori said. "I picked them from our garden."

"You arranged these?" Ema asked in surprise.

Iori shrugged humbly. "Ukyo sometimes has me make flower arrangements for center pieces in the dining room. I have a little practice with it."

"Right," Ema said with a smile. "I forgot that you and Azusa are great at everything you try. You both work really hard, but I don't think I ever saw either of you fail at anything."

"I got you chocolates," Tsubaki broke in, thrusting them toward her.

"Oh, thank you!" Ema said, accepting them. She then looked down at her full hands. "But how am I supposed to carry my bags?"

"You couldn't possibly think we'd let you carry your bags," Masaomi said. "That's part of why we came to pick you up. Admittedly, I doubt we'll need this many people to carry your bags, but some of us were too excited to see you to wait at home."

"Now, let's go find your luggage!" Tsubaki said, slinging an arm around Ema's shoulders and leading her to the baggage claim.

"Hey," Yusuke said quietly while they waited for her bags. He was still staring at the floor, his hands in his pockets. "You and I will be going to the same high school, so I can help you out if you want. You know, show you around and stuff."

"Thanks," Ema said, surprised. She hadn't known she and Yusuke would be going to the same school. "I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't mind."

"It's no problem," he said with a shrug.

Ema bit her lip before adding, "Sorry for intruding in your home for two years. That's probably not easy for you."

"No, it's fine," he said, shaking his head and finally meeting her eyes. "Really. I'm glad you'll be able to go to a normal high school. It's great that we're able to help."

Ema smiled. Maybe Yusuke's feelings had changed after all these years and he really didn't mind.

Juli leaned over to hiss in Ema's ear, _"Eyes wide open. Always."_


	5. Sunrise Mansion

**Chapter 5: Sunrise Mansion**

"You'll be staying in Natsume's old room," Tsubaki told Ema as they walked up to Sunrise Mansion. Part of Ema wanted to pause and take in all in. The sun had started to set, highlighting the massive house that Ema hadn't seen in so long. It had been a second home to her for years. Now it would just be her home. The house and yard were gorgeous, but even if the place had been a broken down shack, Ema still would have found it beautiful.

"Natsume doesn't mind?" Ema asked, suddenly worried. She hadn't considered the fact that the Asahina's didn't have any extra bedrooms, which meant she'd have to take one of their rooms.

"Natsume doesn't mind at all," Tsubaki waved off. "And it's not like he lives here anymore anyway. What does his opinion matter?"

Ema threw a worried glance at Masaomi. She felt enough nerves over ruffling feathers without taking someone's room without their permission, whether they lived there or not. She imagined that Natsume and Hikaru both still liked to come home to visit.

"Natsume is aware and agreed," Masaomi assured her. "We asked his permission first."

"It's the best room," Tsubaki told her. "It's a corner room, so you'll have more windows. Even better, it's next to mine and Azusa's rooms, so you'll be close to us. Just let us know if you need anything, okay?"

"Okay," Ema agreed.

Iori and Tsubaki helped bring Ema's bags to her room while the Masaomi, Yusuke, and Wataru went to tell the rest of the family Ema had arrived. They were all going to have a dinner cooked by Ukyo together. It felt so nostalgic.

"Here's your new room," Tsubaki said, throwing the door opened. "Your new home sweet home."

The room was plain, which made sense since Natsume hadn't lived there for years and they'd probably cleared out anything he'd left in the room in preparation for Ema's arrival. There was a desk and a bedspread that was a neutral navy blue.

Ema had a sudden intense and visceral dislike of the room that she shoved down. It wasn't the room that was the problem, it was how bare it was. Just like every other place she'd lived for the past six years. Every place she and her father lived was so impersonal since they only stayed a few months or less. She and her father hadn't usually lived in hotels unless they were in the middle of traveling or staying in a location for less than a month, but no matter where they lived it felt like they were staying in a hotel rather than a home.

She knew the Asahina's were being polite by removing Natsume's things, but she wished they'd left it instead. Then the room would look lived in, real. But it was okay, she reminded herself. Because this time she _would_ be staying. She'd collected plenty of things through the years of travel for her to decorate the room and make it her own. Her own room. Suddenly, Ema was smiling and the room was okay.

"What?" Tsubaki asked? "Something funny?"

Ema shook her head. "Just happy to be here, that's all."

"Well, we're happy to have you," Tsubaki said, setting Ema's suitcase down and slinging an arm around her shoulders. "Are you ready to go meet the rest of the natives? They're probably getting antsy waiting for you."

"Maybe she'd like a moment to herself instead," Iori suggest. "She might want to unpack a little before being whisked away."

"Loathe as I am to agree with one of these wolves, I think Iori is right, Chi," Juli said. "Besides, you and I need to make a plan of attack. You can't just walk into a crowd of these brothers blind. I don't care what you think about how trustworthy they might be. It always pays to take precautions. Don't you remember Car—"

"No, it's fine," Ema assured Iori. "I've spent the past six years unpacking and not seeing the Asahina brothers. I'm fine with finally reversing that ordering and seeing you guys while not unpacking."

"Sounds like a plan to me!" Tsubaki said, leading Ema out the door.

Juli didn't say anymore and Ema felt him curl against the side of her neck in a silent apology. He knew better than to bring up Carlos.

"Do my eyes deceive me?" The a blond Asahina asked as Ema stepped into the hall. "Or can this beautiful young woman really be little Ema Hinata?"

Ema grinned and stepped forward, arms out. "Kaname!"

"Well, that's a nice greeting," Kaname said, obligingly wrapping Ema in a hug. "I guess it's true that getting a boyfriend really didn't make you forget all about us. Unless you only remembered us when you stepped off the plane."

"Beautiful," Juli muttered, though quietly enough that Ema wasn't entirely sure she was supposed to hear him. "That's the first thing a playboy would say to a young woman upon seeing her for the first time. Are you paying attention to this, Chi? I told you things would be different."

"Of course not," Ema told Kaname, but before she could say more, Tsubaki interrupted.

"What boyfriend? When did you get a boyfriend? _Where_ did you get a boyfriend?"

Ema flushed, embarrassed. She hadn't exactly told all the Asahinas about her and Erik's relationship. Or Carlos, if he even counted. Erik had been hers and he had been special. He was the only person other than Arisa and the Asahinas who Ema had really been close to outside her father. She'd wanted to keep him to herself other than to tell Hikaru.

She hadn't minded Kaname knowing, but it somehow felt awkward with Tsubaki knowing. He'd always acted like a protective older brother, even with her overseas. She hadn't known if he'd be protective over her dating, but hadn't wanted to deal with it if he was. Especially after the disaster with Carlos. The last thing she needed was one more person telling her 'I told you so' about a relationship gone wrong.

"It doesn't matter," Ema waved off, hoping she sounded nonchalant. "He's not my boyfriend anymore."

"Why not?" Tsubaki asked, sounding offended on Ema's behalf. "What was he a jerk to you? Do we need to hunt him down? And back to my first question, _when_ did you get a boyfriend and how long did that go on for? Why didn't I know about it? And why did Kaname?" Ema was pretty sure that string of questions meant she'd been right about Tsubaki falling on the protective side. Now she was _really_ glad she hadn't told him about any of her relationships.

Ema grabbed Tsubaki's face to make sure he was paying attention. "I dated a few times while I was away. I'm sure you dated a few times too, but I didn't hear about any of your girlfriends. Right now I'm single and plan to stay that way. This is my first opportunity to attend a real school in six years and I'm not going to mess it up by getting tangled up in a relationship. Okay?"

Tsubaki pouted a little, but said, "All right, fine. For now. But I expect to hear if there's a guy you're interested in at school or around town, okay?"

"There won't be," Ema promised.

Ema and Iori fell back a little as Kaname and Tsubaki discussed something that happened at Kaname's work that morning.

"Relationships can really suck, huh? It can make it hard to know who to trust."

Ema turned a surprised look on Iori. He had a sad and bitter look on his face. Ema was stunned. Iori, the prince of the neighborhood, had a bad relationship? If he'd had a bad experience, what hope was there for the rest of them?

Before she could think of something to say, or decide if she should say anything at all, they were in the living room and there were more Asahinas she hadn't seen in years greeting her.

"You look wonderful, Chi," Louis said, bending down to hug her.

"You too, Louie," Ema said. "You're hair's prettier than mine."

"No way," Louis said, shaking his head as he pulled away from the hug. "But I can give you a nice hair treatment if you'd like. And hello to you as well, Juli. You're looking well."

"Am I really?" Juli asked, the frustration in his voice clear. "I should be looking a nervous wreck at the situation Chi has gotten herself into, but boy am I glad to see you. I don't know what I'd do if you had moved out of the house."

"Situation?" Louis asked, tilting his head. "What situation?"

Louis paid no attention to the odd looks some of his brothers gave him as he responded to Juli's chattering. Pleased to see his old friend and hoping he'd found an ally, Juli leaped from Ema's shoulder to Louis' in order to plot.

Ema shook her head, hoping Juli wouldn't offend Louis. She'd have to talk to Louis later about not paying attention to Juli's silly concerns.

"I made sushi and miso soup for tonight," Ukyo told Ema. "I hope you don't mind. I thought about making one of the recipes you sent me, but then I thought a more traditional Japanese dinner might be nice for your first night back in Japan."

Ema beamed at Ukyo. "A traditional Japanese dinner sounds perfect. Thank you, Ukyo." Part of Rintaro's adventuring show focused on the foods found in each of the places he traveled to, so he and Ema usually ate local cuisine. She'd enjoyed plenty of the food they'd tried and certainly never got bored of her meals, but something about eating a traditional Japanese meal sounded like home.

"I'm glad you approve," Ukyo said, returning Ema's smile. "Though I did save all the recipes you sent me, so if you feel nostalgic for any of the places you've been, we can cook something from there."

"That's very kind of you to offer, but I think I'm good with sticking with Japanese for a while."

"Did you miss it?" Wataru asked, pulling on the edge of Ema's shirt. "Japanese food, I mean?"

"I did," Ema told him, patting him on the head. "And I missed you, too."

"Good!" Wataru said, throwing his arms around Ema's waist for a second. "It was fun to get emails and pictures of you, but having you here will be a lot better. I want you to stay in Japan for a loooong time, okay?"

"Well, you get me for at least two years," Ema reminded him. "By the end you might be sick of me."

"No way!" Wataru argued, vigorously shaking his head.

"I don't remember anything about you being anywhere near worthy of making us sick of seeing you," Azusa said. "Some of our brothers are a lot more annoying than you could possibly be."

Ema smiled shyly. She hadn't been as close to Azusa as she'd been to Tsubaki and some of the others, so it was nice to hear something like that from him. "Maybe not, but it has been six years. Maybe you just don't remember well enough. Or maybe you'll find the ways I've changed to be annoying." Ema spoke jokingly, but she hoped it wasn't true. She was seventeen now rather than a ten-year-old girl. Maybe they would like the memory of her as a little girl a lot more than her current teenage self.

"No way," Tsubaki said. "Azusa's right about our brothers. There's plenty of them I'd trade you for any day. Now, on to more interesting subjects, you can finally watch mine and Azusa's anime with us! Right now I'm working on Dark—"

"Dark Circle," Ema interrupted. "And Azusa is working on Space Flight Z."

Tsubaki stared at Ema in surprise and she grinned back at him. "Did you really think I wouldn't know what you're working on? I've probably followed both your careers more closely than anyone. I have most of the animes and games you and Azusa have worked on."

"I knew you liked our stuff, but I didn't know you were that big of a fan," Tsubaki said. "You should have told us. We would have sent you all that stuff for free."

Ema shrugged, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious. "It made me happy to collect your guys' work. I'd always get so excited when a new anime or game voice by one of you arrived in the mail." She hesitated, then shrugged one shoulder. "It made me feel a little less lonely when we traveled to new places to hear your voices. Almost like I had someone I knew there with me."

Tsubaki again fell into stunned silence. Ema hadn't known it was possible for Tsubaki to be stunned into silence. It was kind of fun that she had managed to do it twice in under five minutes.

"You could have called us," Tsubaki said.

Ema shook her head. "It would have been complicated to work out between my dad's shooting schedule, your work schedule, and the different time zones. Besides, it would have been expensive."

Tsubaki opened his mouth, but Azusa put a hand on his shoulder, stalling him. "It doesn't matter at this point. We can't change the past, Tsubaki." He smiled at Ema. "I'm happy to hear our work helped you feel better." He paused, and a light flush covered his cheeks. Ema was grateful she wasn't the only one feeling a little shy over this conversation. "It's always nice to hear that someone enjoys our work, but to hear that it helped someone during a time in their life that was maybe a little rough…that means more. Thank you for telling us, Ema."

"Of course," Ema said. She was grateful for how much the two of them had been there for her through some tough times, even without knowing it. "Like Tsubaki said, it will be fun to finally watch your animes together with you. I'm looking forward to it."

Ukyo called them to dinner after that. Wataru insisted on sitting by Ema and Tsubaki demanded the other seat next to her. Louis promised to do Ema's hair the first day of school.

Tears again tried to come to Ema's eyes. Thankfully, everyone was too engaged in animated conversation to notice. She had missed this so much, and now this would be her life every day for the next two years. She couldn't wait.


	6. Hinode High

**Chapter 6: Hinode High**

"What's wrong?" Yusuke asked when he realized Ema no longer walked beside him. They'd reached the front lawn of the school, though Ema had stopped a few steps back, barely within the gates of the school.

"I don't know," Ema said, one arm tucking her bag closer as though it might protect her somehow. Her eyes were wide as she gazed beyond Yusuke to the school behind him. "I guess I just didn't expect it to be so big."

"You've seen high schools before, haven't you?" Yusuke asked, teasing her a little. It was adorable to see her looking nervous. He wouldn't have expected it from her. While he hadn't emailed her while she was gone, he'd secretly read plenty of his brothers' emails from her and always listened carefully when she was mentioned. She seemed like such a confident young woman. She'd traveled all over the world and had experiences most people could only dream of. Who would have imagined she would get nervous over something like high school?

"Of course I have, I've just never been in them before." She gave Yusuke a shy smile. "I never thought I'd get to go in."

"Well, now you do," Yusuke said. He held his hand out to Ema. "Here. If you're so nervous, why don't we walk in together? I promise I won't leave your side, okay?"

"Okay," Ema agreed, her smiling brightening as she reached for his hand.

"Dude!" A voice yelled, accompanied by pounding.

Yusuke jerked awake, sitting up in bed as he realized someone was pounding on his door.

"What?" He demanded, throwing his pillow at the door. If only he could have thrown it at the person responsible for waking him up from such a good dream.

"It's time for you to get up," Tsubaki said. "Ukyo sent me to come wake you up so you wouldn't be late for your first day of school. Personally, I don't care if you're late every day, but Ema doesn't know where Hinode High is, so you at least have to make it on time today for her sake, you got that? After today, I don't care what you do."

Yusuke heard the sound of Tsubaki walking away and he groaned, scrubbing his hands over his face. He'd been so anxious about going to school with Ema last night that it'd taken him forever to fall asleep.

If only he could be as smooth in real life with Ema as he was in his dream. Of course, dreams were just dreams. Ema would never be nervous like that in real life. She was too confident and experienced to be intimidated by something as stupid as high school. She wasn't like other girls.

~.~

"What do you think?" Louis asked. "Do you like it?"

"I love it," Ema said, examining her hair in the mirror. Louis had done her hair in a simple side ponytail and curled it, letting a few curled strands escape the ponytail so her hair didn't look perfect. "It's cute!"

"Good," Louis said, looking satisfied. "I've waited a long time to be able to do your hair. I'd be disappointed if you didn't like it."

"I can't imagine I wouldn't love anything you did, Louie." There was no denying how talented Louis was, but beyond that, the only people to ever do Ema's hair were make-up artists when she occasionally appeared on her dad's show. No one had ever done her hair because they wanted to. Because they cared about Ema and wanted to help her look cute. Her mother had died when she was a baby, leaving her to figure out all the girly stuff on her own. And her best friend Arisa was _not_ a hair-styling kind of girl. Arisa barely did her own hair, let alone anyone else's.

"Now I can go to school with confidence on my first day knowing I look cute thanks to you." Also, thanks to the new uniform she was wearing. She'd heard that a lot of students resented having to wear a uniform, but she was excited. Plus, she thought it was cute.

"Ah, that's not true," Louis argued, gently touching Ema's curls. "You're cute no matter what hairstyle you have. It's just fun to mix things up every now and again. A new look can help you feel different, though. Are you excited about your first day?"

Ema grinned.

"I guess that answers that question," Louis said, laughing a little. "You'll have to tell me all about your day the next time you see me. It might not be until later this week, though. I have to work late tonight and I'm not sure what my schedule is like the rest of the week. You can always text me, though."

"That's right!" Ema said, excited at the thought. Not that attending high school was exciting enough to text Louis over. Well, for most girls, it wouldn't be. But Ema was excited at the thought because she was still getting used to the idea that she could text and call the Asahina brothers again.

Moving from country to country, it would have been too complicated to try to arrange to have a phone and call Japan. These days a lot of people talked to friends or family overseas with some form of video chat, but you had to have internet for that to work. Most of her dad's filming locations were not the kind of places that had internet. Which was one of the reasons Ema was grateful she was more into video games than MMORPGs. Though Fantasia Dawning sometimes came close.

"All right, Chi. Good luck at school today, okay? I want you to have a great day, and you'll have Yusuke with you to help show you around."

"Right," Ema said, nodding once. She hoped Yusuke didn't think it was a pain to have to go to and from school with Ema and show her around. He had offered back at the airport to help her around school, but he hadn't really spoken to her in the week since then. She wondered if Masaomi or Ukyo had made him promise to help Ema find her way around their high school.

Ema was grateful for the thought behind Yusuke helping her, but didn't want him to be forced into anything. She had plenty of experience with navigating her way around new places. At least in Japan she spoke the native language.

"I'll see you soon, Louis." It was fun to say that. For years the only people she'd said that to was her father and Arisa. And, for a while, Erik. It was funny that something so small as being able to tell someone you would see them again could mean so much to her.

~.~

"Well, this is it, Hinode High School," Yusuke said, his voice lacking excitement. He'd said hi to her that morning and asked her if she was ready to go after breakfast, but that had been the extent of their communication. He'd been completely silent on the train and hadn't even looked at her. His actions had her leaning toward believing Ukyo and Masaomi had made Yusuke help her.

She'd had more than enough of people around her not really wanting to be around her during the past six years. Those people usually fell into two categories. Those who wanted to be around Ema in the hopes of meeting her famous dad or ending up on his TV show, and big supporters and fans of her dad who felt Ema was nothing more than an anchor pulling her father back from his true potential.

Of course, Yusuke wasn't like any of the people in either of those groups. He was being polite and helping her, but the idea that he might not really want to do it still left a bad taste in her mouth. Plus, since they were going to be living together it seemed like a bad idea to force him to help her. It would be difficult enough having to welcome someone you didn't much like into your home without being forced to spend time with them.

"Thanks for showing me the way to school and riding on the train with me, Yusuke," Ema said. "I can find our class from here."

"What?" Yusuke asked, looking confused. Then panic seemed to flash through his eyes and she wondered if one of his brothers had threatened to punish him if he didn't stay by her side and help her. "Are you sure? We're in the same class, so it's not like it's any extra trouble for me or anything. And I can introduce you to some of our classmates. I know you're probably used to making your way around new places, but a high school isn't like a city or forest."

Ema bit her lip. Yusuke might be right, but she wasn't overly concerned with her ability to find her way. However, she _was_ enticed by the offer to introduce her to their classmates. She was so tired of being new everywhere she went and only rarely having friends.

"Okay," she agreed. "But only if you accept the lunch I made for you as payment."

"You what?" Yusuke asked, blinking at Ema. "You…made lunch for me?"

"To say thank you for bringing me to school and showing me around. I really appreciate it. I didn't know what else I could do for you, so I made extra lunch. Is that okay?"

Yusuke's face flushed as red as his hair. He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked at the ground as he started walking toward the school again. "Yeah, whatever. That's fine."

Ema joined him and he peeked at her out of the corner of his eyes. "You didn't have to do that, you know. Make me lunch."

"I wanted to," Ema said with a shrug. With her dad's hours filming hours, every night they were either eating meals prepared by the crew, or, when they managed to be wherever they currently lived at night, by Ema. Or they went out to eat with the crew. That happened a lot since it's not exactly easy to make meals when you get back from a mountain or leave a forest at eight p.m. It had been fun to finally cook with ingredients she'd grown up with rather than whatever was local. She'd enjoyed the different food, of course, but always eating something new got old after about a year or so.

"Thanks," Yusuke muttered. "I usually just eat whatever's at the cafeteria. I bet whatever you made is better." He hunched his shoulders and was quiet again after that as they walked into the school.

Ema didn't understand Yusuke at all. His body language seemed to say he wished he was anywhere but there, but his words sounded sincere. He truly seemed more excited to eat what Ema had made than what the cafeteria offered. Ema smiled. Maybe Yusuke was motivated by food. She could work with that. If food was the way into Yusuke's good graces and would help him be more okay with Ema living with the Asahinas, she would happily make him lunch every day for the next two years.


	7. New Classmates

**Chapter 7: New Classmates**

Ema's heart thumped as she and Yusuke walked into their classroom. School hadn't begun yet, but there were still plenty of students in the room. She hadn't expected to feel nervous. She'd been nothing but excited up until this moment. It was walking through the halls with Yusuke and seeing how many people were here and knew each other and were already friends that made her nervous.

She so wanted to be a part of that. To have friends at school and people she ate lunch with every day, but being here was a lot more intimidating than she thought it would be. With the life she'd lived the past six years, she felt like she didn't know a lot about making friends. How much would she have in common with anyone here?

A thought struck her and she gripped Yusuke's arm. He jumped at the contact. "Yusuke," she whispered.

"What?" He asked, voice louder than hers.

Ema winced. She didn't want anyone to hear this conversation. She pulled him closer so she could speak nearer his ear and lowered her voice further. "Please don't tell anyone I'm the daughter of Rintaro."

Hinata was certainly recognizable as Rintaro's last night, but Hinata was a common last name. There was no reason why anyone would think to connect Ema with Rintaro. And while she had been in a few episodes and the show was popular, it probably wasn't very popular with teenage students. They would be more interested in watching anime and the latest teen drama.

"Why?" He asked, his eyebrows scrunching together in confusion.

 _Because I don't want anyone to be my friend because my dad is famous,_ Ema thought. Out loud she said, "It's complicated. I'll explain later, all right?"

Before Yusuke could respond, a boy with light-colored hair came up to them and clapped Yusuke on the back.

"Asahina! We're in the same class again. How lucky. Are you going to help out the soccer team this year?"

"I have a part-time job after work. I won't have time," Yusuke replied in a bland voice, seeming uninterested. "Oh, Sasakura, this is…my childhood friend, Ema Hinata. She's going to Hinode High this year. Ema, this is Kazuma Sasakura."

It didn't escape Ema's notice that Yusuke almost seemed to stumble over calling Ema a childhood friend. Was it because he felt it was a lie to call her his friend? Because he felt awkward introducing a childhood friend to someone he maybe wasn't friends with? Or maybe Yusuke felt awkward introducing her since she'd just asked him to hide who her father was.

Sasakura gave Ema a surprised once-over, then a bright, friendly smile came over his face and he extended a hand for Ema to shake. "Welcome to our class, Hinata. Did you just move here?"

"Um, yeah," Ema said. "I used to live in the area. I had to move because of my dad's work, but now I'm back again."

"Good news for us," Sasakura said, bringing a smile to her face. "So, I guess even people like Asahina have childhood friends."

"What do you mean even people like me?" Yusuke demanded.

Ema giggled. From his tone, Sasakura had clearly been joking, but if Yusuke was surly with everyone and not just her, she could see what Sasakura meant. Thinking back, she remembered that even when they were friends Yusuke could be pretty prickly with people around them, whether they were kids or adults, though he'd at least tried to be more respectful toward the adults.

"Anyway," Sasakura said, slowly taking his eyes off Ema, "is there anything I can do to convince you to join the team? We could really use your help, Yusuke. We had some really strong players graduate, so we need good people to replace them."

"And how is that my problem?" Yusuke asked, crossing his arms.

"Are you that good, Yusuke?" Ema asked. She didn't remember him participating in sports in the past, so she'd never seen him play. If the soccer team wanted to convince Yusuke to play when he wasn't interested, that made it seem like he had real talent.

Yusuke shrugged, but Sasakura nodded excitedly. "I was the star player out of the first years last year on the soccer team, but I struggled to keep up with Asahina during P.E. He's really fast and coordinated. Only the best players on the team can hope to get the ball back once Yusuke has hold of it."

"Wow," Ema said, clasping her hands in front of her chest in excitement. "That would be cool to see. I guess sport talent runs in the family, huh, Yusuke? You, Natsume, and Subaru. And some of your other brothers are pretty good too, though I don't think they played on any sports teams."

~.~

Yusuke froze at Ema's words. Cool? She thought it would be cool to see him play soccer? Did that mean she would come watch him at games if he played? Or maybe she might even stay to watch him at practice, which would ensure they walked home from school together…

"Well if you're that concerned about making some spending money, what if we paid you to play on the team?" Sasakura asked.

"What?" Yusuke asked, snapping out of his thoughts.

"What if we paid you?" Sasakura asked. "Half of what you'd make at your part-time job, because full wages might be a bit much, but I bet some of the guys would pitch in and help."

"You want to pay me to play on the soccer team?" Yusuke asked doubtfully.

"You should accept, Yusuke," Ema said, her eyes shining with the same excitement as when she said it would be cool to watch him play. "A school sport would look good on a college application, as Ukyo would say, and you'll still get paid." She looked suddenly shy. "I mean, if you like playing soccer you should accept. I guess if you hate playing it still wouldn't be worth it."

"No, I don't hate it," Yusuke said, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. "Fine, I guess if you'll pay me half the money I'm missing from my part-time job I'll play on the team."

"Great!" Sasakura said, pumping his fist in excitement. "The team will be excited to hear you're playing. And as team captain, I'll be credited for convincing the best player to join the team."

"I'll come watch your first game!" Ema promised. "At least, if you're okay with that."

Yusuke felt his face turn red as his heart pounded in his chest. "Yeah, that's fine. I don't really care."

"Don't just come for him," Sasakura urged, his attention on Ema again. "We've got a great team lineup this year. I promise the games will be exciting enough for you to want to keep coming, and the team will play better with a cute girl cheering us on." His eyes widened a bit as a flush covered his cheeks. "I mean, any support helps, you know? It's always great when our school has more supporters in the audience than the other teams. It really affects the mood of the game to know there are people there cheering you on."

"Right, I understand," Ema said, smiling.

Yusuke frowned. Was Sasakura flirting with Ema? He knew Sasakura was popular with girls. He was cute and nice and a star player on the soccer team, but Yusuke had never seen Sasakura pay special attention to any of the girls around him. Yusuke had assumed Sasakura was more interested in soccer than dating.

The bell rang for them to take their seats, but Yusuke's mind was still stuck on analyzing the conversation between Sasakura and Ema. What had Sasakura said in the beginning of the conversation? That it was good news that Ema had come to Hinode High? Why would he say that without knowing anything about her? And then he invited Ema to watch the soccer games. Sasakura had quickly changed to say that any support helped, which Yusuke knew Sasakura believed, but he hadn't casually invited Ema to watch like he did other people. He'd said it would help to have a _cute_ girl watch.

Yusuke's frown stayed on his face throughout class. He'd been so nervous about Ema going to his school he hadn't thought of what other guys might think of her. She was cute and sweet, and amazing with all the things she'd done and experienced. What guy wouldn't be interested in her? Than a worse thought occurred to him. What if one of his brothers realized how amazing Ema was and decided they wanted to be more than friends?

~.~

The bell rang for lunch and Sasakura stood at Ema's desk a moment later. "Hey, I know you and Yusuke probably plan to have lunch together, but why don't you join me and a few other friends? Then you can meet more people in our class."

Ema wasn't so sure Yusuke had planned on them having lunch together, though maybe that was part of what Masaomi and Ukyo had demanded of Yusuke. Still, Ema was excited to be invited to sit with someone at lunch on her first day. It was on the tip of her tongue to accept when she looked at Yusuke first. It was all well and good for her to accept to sit with Sasakura, but maybe Yusuke had other plans. Ema didn't want to agree for him.

"Yeah, sure, why not?' Yusuke asked, not sounding excited, but since that didn't dampen Sasakura's enthusiasm, she was coming to believe Yusuke was always like this. Or else Sasakura considered the two of them friends and Yusuke didn't. That was another possibility, but Sasakura seemed so friendly it was hard to imagine someone not liking him.

"Is the new girl having lunch with us today?" A girl a little shorter than Ema asked.

Sasakura nodded and the girl smiled. "Great! We need more girls around. My Name is Mahoko Imai. You're Hinata, right?"

"Ema Hinata," Ema agreed, nodding. She was pleased Imai seemed happy to have Ema join them. She'd learned that a lot of groups weren't so quick to let an interloper join.

They sat outside to eat once everyone had their lunches. Sasakura's eyes widened as he watched Ema pull out bento's for both her and Yusuke.

"Are you two dating?" He asked.

"No!" Yusuke sputtered, nearly choking on his drink. "We're just childhood friends," he rushed to say. "I showed Ema the way to school today, so she made me lunch to say thank you. That's all."

"Oh," Sasakura relaxed and his smile returned. "That's cool. That was really nice of you, Hinata."

"All I did was make a little extra of what I was making for myself," Ema said truthfully. It hadn't been much effort to increase the recipe.

"Still, I wish a girl would make food for me some day," Sasakura said. "Yusuke's lucky to have a friend like you. His lunch looks much better than what I picked up in the cafeteria."

"It's just a regular bento," Ema said modestly, surprised at how impressed Sasakura seemed. "I didn't do anything fancy."

"It smells good," Imai said, leaning toward Ema's bento and taking a breath. "And it looks fancier than anything my mom made me in elementary."

Yusuke put his arm around his bento box and moved it closer, as though protecting it from any attempts to take it.

Ema tried to hide her smile. It looked like she was right about Yusuke really caring about food. Now if only she could find something that would help the other two brothers she felt sure were unhappy with her presence be a little more okay with her living with them.


	8. Unwelcome Guest

**A/N:** I got excited and finished the next chapter early J

 **Chapter 8: Unwelcome Guest**

"So, school is going well?" Louis asked as Ema sat at the table doing homework.

Ema nodded happily. She was pleased that her "home school" (though none of the places had really been home) during the past six years hadn't put her behind where she should be. She'd been a little worried about that, but the first week of school was done. Every teacher had now gone over their syllabus for the year and there wasn't anything Ema was concerned about handling,

"The students in mine and Yusuke's class are nice. I think I'll become good friends with Sasakura and Imai." Imai had eaten lunch with her every day the first week, and Sasakura had joined them three of the five days. Yusuke had joined them every day as well. She hoped that was a good sign.

"I'm glad to hear that," Louis said, patting Ema's hair. "I knew you would do well. And look how fast you've made friends. Guess you haven't lost your friend making skills after all. All it really takes is being nice and being yourself." Ema had confided in Louis through email over a year ago that she was afraid she was losing important social skills. It meant a lot to her that he still remembered her worries.

"I guess," Ema agreed, but she felt like she'd tried to do that around the world and it had only sometimes worked. She felt lucky to be in a class with people who were kind and friendly. She didn't know what she would have done if she'd finally been able to go to high school and still couldn't make any friends. It would have been worth it to live in one place and be with the Asahina brothers, but it would have been hard.

"I have to go to work now, but let's spend some time together this weekend, okay? I have Sunday off."

"Okay," Ema agreed happily.

Ema worked in silence for almost half an hour before an unhappy voice said, "Oh. _You're_ here. I forgot you'd already be here."

Ema sighed. She didn't recognize the voice, but she didn't have to turn around to see who it was. The only Asahina brothers she hadn't seen yet were Natsume and Fuuto, and she was pretty sure Natsume had never used a tone like that in his entire life.

She pasted a smile on her face before turning to confront Fuuto. "Welcome home, Fuuto. I apologize for intruding in your home. I promise I'll try not to get in your way."

"You wouldn't have to _try_ to stay out of my way if you weren't here," Fuuto retorted. "And if you were really sorry about imposing, you also wouldn't be here."

"Most of your brothers don't feel I'm imposing," The words were out before Ema could stop them.

Fuuto blinked at her. It was probably the harshest thing she'd ever said to him, though he'd certainly done and said enough in the past to deserve worse than that.

"But as I said, since you feel differently from your brothers, I'll try not to be too big a pain for you."

Having apparently said all he planned to say, or perhaps too disgusted with her presence to stay, Fuuto turned to leave.

"Congratulations, by the way," Ema said before he took more than two steps, "on becoming an idol as a teenager. That's really amazing. I hadn't known you wanted to be one."

"Well, I was eight when you left," Fuuto said, his tone still sarcastic. "No eight-year old knows what they want to be when they grow up."

"Tsubaki did," Ema replied. She hadn't been around when Tsubaki was eight, of course. She would have been born that year, but she was very familiar with the story of how Tsubaki fell in love with a robot anime and decided he would one day be a voice actor.

Fuuto's mouth twitched and Ema wondered if he had almost smiled. "Fine, point to you. Any _normal_ eight-year old doesn't know what they want to be. Did you just find out when you moved back to Japan?"

Ema shook her head. "Dad and I occasionally had access to Japanese channels. I was really shocked to see a recording of one of your concerts. No one had told me you'd become an idol, but it was fun to see. You got the crowd really pumped and excited." Even though she and Fuuto had never been friends, it had still been exciting to see Fuuto on TV. It hadn't been the same as hearing Tsubaki's and Azusa's voices, but it was another thing that made her feel a little less lonely and a little more connected to home to see his concert. She'd made a point of looking for them when she could after that, though she'd never bought any of his music.

Maybe if she listened to his music, it would be a way for her to connect with him. Or maybe he would just think she was sucking up to him, trying to get close to a popular idol. Knowing Fuuto, that was probably more likely. She'd have to find some other way to hopefully get him to warm up to her.

She heard someone coming down the stairs and turned to see Subaru. Speaking of people she needed to warm up to her…

Subaru was wearing sweats and had a ball in his hand with a bag slung over his shoulder. He'd probably just gotten home from basketball practice. Subaru was easier to figure out than Fuuto. She was sure if she could get him to talk about basketball with her he'd be more comfortable with her in the home. The problem was actually getting him to talk.

"Welcome home, Subaru! How as basketball practice today?"

Subaru glanced at her before muttering something unintelligible and continuing on his way. Ema slumped. Most of the Asahina brothers were so nice. Why were some of them so difficult?

"Something wrong?" Yusuke asked.

Ema jumped, not having realized Yusuke was in the room.

"No, it's nothing," Ema said, turning back to her homework. She wished she could ask Yusuke for advice on speaking with Subaru. He seemed to be the brother closest to Subaru, but he was another one of the difficult brothers she was dealing with. Though he'd happily eaten her meals all week long, so she was hopefully making progress there.

Once upon a time she would have asked Natsume for advice on Subaru, but Azusa had already warned her not to bring up Natsume around Subaru if she could help it. Apparently, the two had a falling out a few years ago, but no one seemed to know what it was about. She wished Natsume had emailed her when it happened. Those two had been so close that whatever happened must have been painful.

Of course, she was only the little kid who'd hung around Natsume's house for a few years. The two had been good gaming friends, but their friendship really didn't extend much beyond that. She could understand why Natume hadn't told her, but it felt odd to come back to a place that had been a second home to her and learn that two of the Asahina brothers were no longer on speaking terms. It made her sad.

"Don't tell me you're working on homework already," Yusuke said, giving the papers around Ema a horrified look. "It's only Friday night. We still have the whole weekend."

"Yeah, I know, but if I do it now I don't have to worry about it later. I can focus on relaxing and having fun the rest of the weekend. Tsubaki already told me he and Azusa want to take me out to lunch tomorrow, and then Louis wants to do brunch Sunday, and I need to get my character powered up on Fantasia Dawning…it's just easier if I do my homework first."

Homework first had always been the rule when she was traveling with her dad. If she wanted to go on adventures with him, she had to have her homework done first. It established a pattern for her that really was helpful. Having her homework done also meant she could play video games without the work looming in the back of her mind.

"I guess I should too," Yusuke sighed, hanging his head.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Ema laughed. "I understand not wanting to worry about homework on a Friday evening."

"No, you're right," Yusuke said, retrieving his backpack. "Better to get it done and not have to worry about it later. Mind if I join you?"

Ema hesitated a moment, surprised.

Yusuke misread her hesitation. "It's okay if you don't want me to," he rushed to say. "I know I'm not as smart as you. I won't slow you down by asking for help or anything."

"No, it's not that," Ema said, shaking her head. "I'd be glad to have you join me. And if you have any questions I can answer or help with, I'd be happy to." She pulled out the chair beside her to show she was sincere. Was Yusuke warming up to her this quickly? Food really was the way to get on his good side, apparently. Too bad she didn't figure that out when they were kids.

They'd been working for a while when Ema felt Yusuke's eyes on her.

"Hey, Ema? Why don't you want our classmates to know your Rintaro's daughter?"

Ema withheld her sigh. She'd forgotten her promise to tell Yusuke why she'd told him not to tell anyone about her dad.

"It was difficult to make friends when we were moving around all the time," Ema said, looking at her homework rather than at Yusuke. "Especially when I didn't speak the same language as the people around us. I got pretty good at English and learned a couple phrases in some other languages, but wasn't that proficient. That didn't stop people who knew I was Rintaro Hinata's daughter from trying to be my friend. Not because they wanted to be _my_ friend, but because they wanted to be the friend of the famous adventurer's daughter. Either so they could meet him or in the hope of ending up on his show."

She shrugged awkwardly. "I just don't want that at our school. I'm going to be there for two years and if anyone is my friend, I want to know they're _my_ friend. That means they can't know I'm Rintaro Hinata's daughter."

"I don't think you need to hide it," Yusuke said. "Your dad isn't here, so you won't have to worry about people trying to get on his show. I think people will like you for you. Look how quickly Sasakura and Imai warmed up to you."

Ema looked at Yusuke in surprise. Had he really just said what she thought he'd said? And had he meant it?

Looking into Ema's eyes, Yusuke turned red and went back to his homework.

"I mean, that's just what I think. I could be wrong, I guess. You have more experience with this than I do."

Ema smiled. Maybe it wasn't just because of Masaomi and Ukyo that Yusuke was spending time with her at school after all. "Maybe you're right," she said. "But I'll play things on the safe side for now." She bit her lip, then quietly said, "Thank you, Yusuke."

She wasn't sure if he heard her or not, but they continued to work on their homework together until dinner, finishing it just in time.


	9. Mealtime

**A/N:** This chapter is thanks to BuddingWriter101 saying in a review that she was excited for Ema to spend time with the twins and Louis. I had no intention of actually writing those scenes referenced in the previous chapter until she said that.

 **Chapter 9: Mealtime**

"Order whatever you want," Tsubaki told Ema. "We've had lots of good foreign food for years thanks to you sending Ukyo those recipes, so it's time for us to repay the favor."

"There isn't any favor to repay," Ema told Tsubaki. "But thank you. I'm glad you guys enjoyed the recipes." Tsubaki had made it clear on the drive over that he and Azusa were paying for Ema's lunch. She'd tried to argue that the Asahinas were already doing so much for her by letting her live with them, so she should be paying for them if anything. Azusa had told her that only someone pathetic would make a teenage girl pay for their meal.

"So, which voice acting jobs have we done that are your favorite?" Tsubaki asked.

That question led to a half hour discussion of which characters Ema had liked the most, which jobs Azusa and Tsubaki had enjoyed the most along with which ones they'd hated, and what everyone's favorite scenes were.

"The scene where Junji died was so good," Ema said, leaning forward in her excitement. "It broke my heart, but you did an amazing job of playing the grieving brother, Tsubaki. I was huddled in the corner of the couch crying as I watched it. I think in the back of my mind it was even more heartbreaking because it was your voice that was so sad."

"Thanks," Tsubaki said. "I remember when I did that scene I tried to imagine how I would feel if Azusa died. I ended up doing that whole scene in only two takes. The director was really pleased."

"I feel like deep sadness is one of the harder emotions to portray," Azusa said. "If you've never lost anyone in your life, it can be hard to know how to act when the character you're playing loses someone close to them."

"Right?" Tsubaki said. "Or when you played that character addicted to drugs. You did a lot of research on how addiction affects people's minds and actions since you don't know what it feels like to be addicted to anything."

"I remember that anime," Ema said. It had been a depressing one, but she'd still gotten it because Azusa voiced one of the main characters. "The characters desperation really came through in your performance."

"Thank you," Azusa said, looking surprised. Ema wasn't sure why the compliment would surprise him when he and Tsubaki were two of the most popular voice actors in Japan. Of course they were both good.

"Sorry," Tsubaki said, we got a little caught up with talking about the more technical side of our job."

"You don't need to be sorry," Ema said, waving his apology away. "It's interesting to hear you talk about work. I think it must be really hard to pretend to be in someone else's shoes and speak how they would speak and react how they would react. It's neat to hear how you work out how to do it."

"It's fun," Tsubaki said, his eyes lighting up. "Each new character you voice is a challenge, even if it's a character similar to one you've voiced before."

"Sometimes that's even more challenging," Azusa added. "Because you want to make sure you don't repeat the same performance you already gave with the new character. You need to make the new character their own, even if there are similarities."

Tsubaki nodded. "We have the best job in the world." His eyes went to Ema. "What do you want to do after you finish school, Ema?"

Ema shrugged. "I haven't thought a lot about it. I know I want to go to college, but that's as far as my plans currently extend." Somehow, with all the moving Ema had done, she hadn't ever felt settled enough to try to make a decision about what she wanted to do with her future. She didn't know why she felt she couldn't think about her future while moving, but it had seemed for a long time like the only thing her future would ever hold was continually traveling to a new place.

"What do you like doing?" Azusa asked.

"You mean besides gaming?" Ema asked with a smile. "Maybe I could become a professional demo girl for Natsume's company."

"I've heard some people make a lot of money from game companies by posting videos of themselves playing and reviewing games," Tsubaki said.

"I can just imagine my dad's reaction to that," Ema said, shaking her head. "He already doesn't like how much time I spend on games. He'd try to lock me up in a mountain cabin with no internet if I did gaming professionally."

Tsubaki shook his head sadly. "Some people have no sense of what's important."

~.~

"What do you want to do most now that your back in Japan?" Louis asked Ema after they were seated for brunch the next day.

Ema gave a contented sigh. "Nothing. I just want to go to school and live with and be part of a normal family." She grinned. "Well, the Asahina family might not be quite like most normal families with thirteen children, but they're my preferred normal."

"I'm happy to hear that," Louis said.

Before either of them could say more, a familiar voice said, "Good morning. Can I take your order?"

Ema looked up and did a double take. "Iori?!"

Iori smiled at her. "This is where I work. Didn't you know?"

"Sorry," Louis apologized. "I meant to tell you Iori works here. That's why I chose this place for brunch. And because they have really good hot chocolate."

After Iori took their orders, Louis fussed with this silverware, arranging it and rearranging it.

Ema frowned, wondering what was wrong. It wasn't like Louis to fidget. It almost looked like he was nervous.

"Louis?" She prompted gently. "Is something wrong?"

His hands stilled. "No, not wrong," he said looking up at her. He paused before putting his hand on top of hers. "I just want to make sure you're comfortable and happy here. I think you had a lot of hard times while you lived abroad that you didn't tell me about. I hope if anything happens, you'll feel like you can come talk to me about it."

Ema was surprised. She didn't like to complain as a general rule. It didn't change anything or help anyone, and it sometimes made others feel bad if there was nothing they could do about the problem. She had let a couple things slip here and there in her emails to Louis, but she was stunned he was able to tell that more had happened that she hadn't told him about, that her life had been harder than she let on.

One side of her mouth curved up in a smile. "You're really good at reading people, you know that, Louie? I bet your clients tell you their troubles and secrets all the time."

"It's good to have someone to talk to," Louis said, removing his hand from Ema's. "Even if it's just your hairdresser. Life can get overwhelming if you keep everything bottled up."

Iori arrived with their order and Ema gasped when she saw her hot chocolate. The whipped cream was shaped like a flower.

"That's amazing," Ema said, pulling her drink closer to examine the flower better. "Did you do this, Iori?"

Iori smiled. "It's not too difficult. It's something baristas developed to make coffee look fancier, but it works just as well with hot chocolate. I'm glad you like it. Can I get anything else for either of you?"

They both said no, then were silent as they tasted their food. Or maybe Louis was waiting Ema out, hoping she would open up.

"The struggle with making friends was the hardest," Ema said, then shrugged. "It was just hard, that's all. And I also learned that boys are stupid. Well, boys that you date are stupid, not boys in general. Dating is definitely something I don't want to do while I'm in Japan."

Louis looked concerned, but didn't pry. That was something Ema loved about Louis. He would let you say what you needed to say without making you go any further than you wanted to.

"There's no need for you to feel any rush when it comes to dating," Louis assured her. "You're still young and have plenty of other things to focus on. Though maybe don't close yourself off to the idea completely. You never know what might happen. Take time to heal and don't decide not to trust anyone just because of a few bad experiences."

Ema smiled. "You talk so wisely, Louie. Sometimes it's hard to believe you're only twenty-one."

Louis shrugged. "I guess I learn a lot from my clients. I may provide a good listening ear for them, but they teach me a lot with their experiences."

"That would be interesting," Ema said. "Everyone needs to get their hair cut, so I'm sure you see a variety of people. You would get to hear all sorts of perspectives and hear about a lot of different experiences."

"It's a good job," Louis said, nodding. "I love the work but I also really enjoy the people. The work wouldn't be as fun without interacting with my clients."

He took a sip of his hot chocolate before asking, "So you're happy with us Asahinas? Everything is okay at Sunrise Mansion?"

Ema smiled and nodded, not mentioning the problem Asahinas. She just had to work on them to get them comfortable with her being around. It had only been a few weeks, after all.

"I get to go to school every day, and with the same people. I get to go home to the same house every day and see people I care for and who care for me. What could be better than that? I do miss my dad and going on adventures, but I love the stability of Sunrise Mansion."

"We can go on adventures around the city," Louis said. "Try out new restaurants and check out new stores. And I bet Natsume would enjoy going on hikes and such with you. He'd love an excuse to get into the mountains. I think he spends too much time working."

"That's a great idea, Louie," Ema said, grinning. She hadn't considered the fact that she could still have adventures even while living in one place. And maybe those adventures would be better, in their own way, because she could revisit places she enjoyed and discover even more about them. "You really are wise," she said again as she took another sip of her hot chocolate.


	10. Hiking Adventures

**Chapter 10: Hiking Adventures**

"I didn't know you were into stuff like hiking," Natusme said. "I only remember you caring about gaming."

"I wasn't before," Ema said, a little out of breath. She hadn't gone hiking since returning to Japan and she could tell she'd already lost some endurance. She wouldn't be surprised if she was sore the next day. "I got into hiking while living abroad with my dad. We hiked most places we lived, and did some mountain climbing, though Dad wouldn't take me on the more technical climbs. He was worried about me getting hurt."

"You must have seen a lot of incredible places."

Ema smiled. "I did. I'll have to show you some of the pictures sometime." She hadn't been pleased about the hiking at first. Trekking up mountains had felt like a lot to ask of a ten-year-old, but she'd come to love it because it was quality time with her father. She'd also come to love hiking once she got used to the hard physical work.

"Am I going too fast for you?" Natsume asked.

Ema shook her head, then almost ruined it by nearly stumbling over a rock in the middle of the path. "No. This hike isn't nearly as hard as some of the ones my dad and I did. Besides, I've already lost some of my stamina. Slacking won't help me to build it back up."

"You lose it quickly," Natsume agreed. "Staying in good physical condition takes constant work."

"Do you like hiking?" Ema asked, peering at Natsume out of the corner of her eye. After Louis' suggestion, she'd asked Natsume if he wanted to go hiking before bothering to ask if he actually enjoyed hiking. "You were a runner before."

"Hiking is good," Natsume assured her. "It's good conditioning for running and I enjoy getting out of the city. This was a good excuse to get up into the mountains." He smiled at her. "Feel free to invite me to come with you anytime." A thought seemed to occur to him, and his brow furrowed. "And don't come out here by yourself, okay? Accidents can happen while hiking and you don't ever want to go alone. I think you'd throw the whole Asahina house into a tizzy if anything happened to you."

"I don't know about that," Ema said. "But I promise I'll be careful. Dad taught me all about hiking safety."

They rounded a corner and nearly stumbled into a fallen log. Natsume stepped on top before holding a hand down for Ema.

"Thanks," Ema said, pulling herself up with his help and stepping down the other side. "Do you still run, Natsume? I know you ran in college, but it's probably harder now that you work fulltime."

Natsume was quiet for long enough that Ema turned to look at him. "Natsume?" She prompted.

"I did stop running when I started working for my company," Natsume said. "There just wasn't any time anymore. I've started running again just recently. That's part of why hiking will be good for me. The conditioning will help me get back into the swing of things."

"I hope I'm not holding you back," Ema said, picking up her pace a little.

"You're fine," Natsume said, huffing a laugh. "Don't worry about me."

There were quiet for a moment and Ema thought over Natsume's long pause when she'd asked him if he was still running. If his new job was the only reason he'd stopped running, would he have taken so long to answer? She wanted to ask, but she knew she had things she didn't want people prying into.

She debated a few more moments before saying, "You loved running so much, from what I remember, anyway. Was it hard to give it up?" While Natsume had always loved gaming, Ema remembered him being far more dedicated to running than gaming. He spent most of his time training and practicing. Yet, in the end he'd chosen gaming over running.

Natsume was quiet again and Ema decided she had been prying after all. Still, Subaru had been the brother Natsume was closest to. Since the two of them were no longer close, who did that leave Natsume to confide in?

She knew he loved his triplets, but he'd never had the relationship with Tsubaki and Azusa that they had with each other. He more patiently or not so patiently tolerated their antics. Ema didn't think he'd talk with them about anything important and with Natsume living alone, she was worried he'd isolated himself. According to Louis, Natsume didn't seem to do much other than work. For the first time, Ema thought that Louis hadn't suggested Ema and Natsume go hiking merely for Ema's sake.

"It's complicated," Natsume finally said. Ema wouldn't call his tone unkind, but it was the harshest she'd ever heard it. Closed off.

Ema nodded slowly. "I understand complicated," she said lightly. "I stopped making friends when I lived abroad because it was too complicated."

Natsume sent her a sharp look. Ema used the excuse of scrambling over a rock to not look at him. She noticed her hand shaking and mentally told herself to stop it. If she wanted Natsume to feel comfortable talking to her, she had to show she was willing to do the same.

"Nearly everywhere we went it was a new language. I could learn a few phrases to get by, but it was difficult. Then there was the fact that there were so many people who just wanted to use me to get to my dad. But even those things weren't enough to stop me from trying to make friends."

Ema's heart tightened in her chest. Just saying the words sounded pathetic. Made her feel pathetic. "It was how quickly the friends I made stopped contacting me once Dad and I moved that made me stop."

She had to pause to clear her throat and she gave Natsume a tight smile. "It made me feel like I wasn't worth being friends with. I was entertaining enough to talk with when I was there, but once I was gone I wasn't interesting enough to keep in their lives. Only the Asahinas cared enough to stay in contact with me all those years. Well, you guys and one friend who's dad is also an adventurer and sometimes worked with my dad."

She shrugged. "So, I stopped making friends. I decided it wasn't worth the effort. You complimented how good my gaming skills are, but I didn't have much else to do most of the time." Erik had appeared after she'd made that decision. He'd worked hard to earn Ema's trust, to get her to allow him into her life. But in the end, he'd obviously felt the same way as the others.

Natsume stopped, grabbing Ema's arm when she didn't notice and kept walking. He spun her around so she was facing him. "You are worth it," he told her, placing his hands on her shoulders and looking her in the eye. "You have no idea how many of us Asahinas have been waiting for you to come back to Japan just to visit. None of us cared that we didn't see you for years. That didn't change what you mean to us. Even if we hadn't seen you for another two years, that still wouldn't have changed."

"You're going to make me cry," Ema warned, swiping at her eyes. She tried to pass it off as a joke, but Natsume's words meant a lot to her. There might be those in the world to whom Ema meant very little, but there were people who loved her as well. "But thank you."

"Well, that wasn't my intention," Natsume said, awkwardly patting Ema's shoulders before taking a step back. Ema expected them to resume their hike, but Natsume stayed where he was, so Ema stayed there too.

Natsume sighed, shaking his head and running a hand through his hair. "I did it for Subaru," Natsume said.

"Did it for Subaru?" Ema echoed, confused. "Did what for Subaru?"

"Gave up running," Natsume explained. "Running and basketball are two very different things when it comes to the professional world. It's very difficult to make any kind of a living running professionally. Basketball is another matter, and Subaru has real talent. I think he can make it into the pros." He sighed again and started walking, slower this time.

Ema fell into step beside him.

"I was in college when I realized the best thing for me to do for myself was to drop running. I couldn't make a career or a living out of it. I loved it, but it was time to leave it behind. However, I was afraid if I told Subaru this that he would get discouraged, think that he couldn't make it in basketball either would give it up. I didn't want his dream of joining a professional basketball team to be affected by my decision to leave running."

He shrugged and gave the trees surrounding the path a helpless look. "Subaru looked up to me so much that I was sure my decision would affect his own decisions about his future. I couldn't let that happen, so instead I told him I was quitting running because it wasn't important. That it was just a way to pass the time in school, but now I was moving on."

"That's what your fight was about," Ema breathed, Subaru's supposed animosity toward Natsume suddenly making sense. The two had always trained together and Natsume had always encouraged Subaru. For Natsume to essentially tell Subaru that sports no longer mattered to him…it must have been devastating for Subaru to hear that.

"That was the cause," Natsume said, nodding. "I'd hoped that Subaru would have forgiven me by now, but he still refuses to talk to me."

"That's so sad," Ema said. "For both of you." She wished she could think of something to say to help, but nothing came to her mind. She wouldn't have thought Subaru was one to hold a grudge this long, but maybe it was because he and Natsume had been so close. "But you're running again now?"

Natsume nodded. "I've missed it a lot. It was actually you coming home that made me decide to start running again. And maybe…" He shook his head. "It's probably a stupid thought, but maybe it will help Subaru to talk to me again."

"Me?" Ema asked. "How did me coming back to Japan help you decide to run again?"

Natsume smiled and shrugged. "It wasn't anything big. Just nostalgia mostly. I remembered that you used to come to my meets with Tsubaki and Azusa. You were always the adorable little girl on the sidelines cheering the loudest."

Ema blushed. "Was I really the loudest?" She'd always been excited to go with the twins to Natsume's meets. It had almost been like going to watch an older brother or cousin, and Tsubaki and Azusa had always taken her out for ice cream afterward.

Natsume laughed. "Maybe not always, but it seemed like it to me. Maybe other people got quieter because they thought it was cute to this little girl jumping up and down. Anyway, I'd already been considering getting back into running when I heard you were returning. The nostalgia of those memories was enough of a push to get me going."

"I'm glad to hear that," Ema said, unconsciously picking up the pace in her excitement. Her heart warmed as much as it had with Natsume's earlier words. It made her grateful to hear that those memories of Natsume's meets didn't matter only to her. "I guess that gives me some responsibility in making sure you stick with running. I guess now I have to invite you whenever I come hiking."

Natsume laughed. "You could also come to any official runs I do and jump up down squealing like you used to."

Ema blushed again and decided not to respond.


	11. Dinner

**Chapter 11: Meals**

Ema bit her lip, debating if she should say anything as she watched Ukyo bustle around the kitchen. He seemed on edge in a way he normally wasn't. He kept muttering to himself and, from what Ema could tell, making mistakes.

"Ukyo?" Ema said, her voice light. "Is something wrong?"

Ukyo paused in the middle of chopping vegetables with a force she imagined he didn't normally use. He sighed. "I have an important case I need to prepare for. I should have had time during my lunch today, but an important client came in and all the lawyers of our firm had to be present for a two-hour lunch as he spoke with us." He glared at the vegetables as though they were directly responsible for the two-hour lunch that had stopped Ukyo from getting his needed work done. "And now I'm left with not enough time to prepare properly for court."

"What if I made dinner?" Ema asked. "Would that give you enough time?"

Ukyo looked at Ema uncertainly.

"I can cook," Ema promised him. "I cooked for Dad and me all the time. All those recipes I sent you from around the world weren't just for fun, they were recipes I tried and liked. I've never cooked for this many people before, but I'm sure I can manage."

"Are you sure?" Ukyo asked, already reaching behind him to untie his apron. "That would really help."

"I'd be happy to!" Ema chirped, hopping down from the barstool where she'd been doing homework. "Just leave it to me."

~.~

"Nice job on dinner tonight, Ukyo," Tsubaki complimented as he took another bite. "I like the spices you used this time."

"Yeah," Subaru agreed. "It's really good."

"Actually, Ema cooked tonight's dinner," Ukyo said. "I had some work I had to do and she kindly offered to take over."

"Nice," Tsubaki said, lifting a forkful toward Ema in a salute. "Guess you learned some neat cooking tips cooking around the world."

"That's right," Azusa said. "You started doing the cooking in your house as a little girl, didn't you? I'd forgotten about that."

Ema shrugged, embarrassed by the attention. "Yeah, I started making dinner when I was seven or eight. I don't think tonight's dinner is anything special though." She's actually been really worried about it. Thankfully, she'd been paying enough attention to what Ukyo was doing to note the mistakes he'd made while he'd been cooking.

She _had_ learned interesting and cool things about cooking while traveling. Thanks to her father's show insistence on filming him try food from around the world, Ema had the opportunity to speak with chefs from all over the world. A chef in Mongolia had told her all about how spices worked together, so she'd try to use that knowledge to turn Ukyo's accidental mistakes into something edible. She was relieved the Asahina brothers liked the results. And relieved that Ukyo seemed more relaxed now. Hopefully, that meant he'd finished the work he needed to.

~.~

"Thank you again, Ema," Ukyo told her after dinner. "I don't know when I would have found the time to get the proper preparation for that case done without your help."

Ema beamed. Most of the Asahina brothers were welcoming and kind to Ema, which she had expected, but she still wanted to be useful to them while she lived at Sunrise Mansion. Friend or not, having someone who wasn't family live in your house full-time could be hard. She wanted to help out around the house just like all the Asahina brothers did.

Ema twisted her hands together, suddenly nervous. "Well, if the results of my cooking were good enough, maybe I should take over cooking dinner? I know everyone has their assigned chore, and I feel I should have one too since I'm living here. I'd like to help out if I can."

Ukyo blinked at Ema in surprise. "Well, I think cooking dinner every night for twelve people is a bit much for a high school student. You need to remember to focus on your studies. However, I would appreciate your help with dinner if you're willing to give it."

Ema smiled. "I would love to." She'd never cooked with anyone before. She'd been able to watch the chefs from around the world cook, and many of them had been kind enough to discuss their craft with her, but she'd never cooked with any of them. The idea of cooking with Ukyo felt…like home somehow. Domestic. And the thought of cooking for the Asahina brothers felt the same.

She imagined most teenagers wouldn't be excited at the prospect of having to cook for everyone in their house, but Ema _was_ excited. She'd be contributing to the household, just like everyone else, and she would be helping to take care of them.

~.~

"Are you sure you should cook for them?" Juli asked later that night when Ema told him. He had his arms crossed as he watched Ema play Fantasia Dawning on her laptop.

"Why would my cooking for them be a problem?" She asked. She gave him a teasing look. "Or have you been lying about liking my cooking all these years and you think it will get us kicked out of the house?"

"It's not that," Juli said, shaking his head. "But don't you know that one of the ways to a man's heart is through his stomach?"

"Of course!" Ema said cheerfully. "That's one of the ways Yusuke and I are becoming friends. Hadn't you noticed?"

Juli gave Ema a disbelieving look. "Aren't you paying attention at all?" Juli asked when he'd finally recovered enough from his shock to talk.

"Paying attention to what?" She asked, leaning closer to her computer as she hit the Enter key as fast as she could. She had to raise enough zombie villagers to stop the rat army or she was going to die.

"To your surroundings, Chi! How many times do I have to tell you? A lovely young woman suddenly comes to live with eleven young men, and then she _cooks_ for them? Are you _trying_ to make them fall for you? And that lawyer guy—"

"Ukyo," Ema interrupted, glancing away from her game to give Juli a stern look. "You know the Asahina brothers' names, so please use them. Don't just call them whatever you want."

Juli grumbled a bit before continuing. "Fine, _Ukyo_ is going to be cooking with you every night. I'm sure he maneuvered you into this so he could have you all to himself for an hour or two. How could you let this happen?"

"Ukyo didn't maneuver me into anything," Ema told Juli. "I offered. Two or three times before Ukyo accepted. It was my idea, not his. And none of the brothers have showed the slightest bit of interest in me, Juli. All of the problems only exist inside your head. You need to relax or you're going to make yourself sick."

"You might think I'm paranoid, but it's only been a couple of weeks. I plan to remain vigilant until I know for sure that you're safe here."

~.~

Ukyo was surprised to come home from work to discover Ema already in the kitchen, a pink apron with flowers tied around her. He wondered if she'd brought the apron with her when she moved back to Japan or if she'd bought it special.

"Welcome home, Ukyo," Ema called with a wave when she saw him, a bright smile on her face. "Since we discussed all the recipes for the week on Saturday, I figured I'd get an early start on dinner. I hope you don't mind."

It felt odd to see Ema in an apron in the kitchen, not in a bad way though. It almost made the house seem more homey to come home to find a woman in the kitchen. He couldn't remember the last time his mother had stepped foot in there and cooked something. He'd taken over that duty long ago.

"I don't mind at all," Ukyo assured Ema. "Let me put my briefcase away and then you can direct me for how I can be most useful to you."

Ukyo smiled as he went to his room. He had been happy to have Ema return to Japan and see her again, and he was grateful the Asahina family was able to allow her to attend a regular high school. He had not, however, imagined she would be a help to them. Oh, she seemed to be a positive influence on Yusuke as he'd hoped, but he hadn't expected her to have such an influence on the atmosphere of the house. She was bright and cheerful and always eager to help.

Ukyo found himself, surprisingly, agreeing with Kaname. Their home truly had been missing a feminine touch, or, at least, a feminine presence. He found himself looking forward to getting to cook dinner with her every night.


	12. Gaming

**A/N:** I don't know how often I'll be able to post three times in a week, but since it's now too cold to each lunch outside, I've started working on this fanfiction while sitting at my desk eating lunch since I'm there anyway.

 **Chapter 12: Gaming**

"Are you sure this is okay?" Ema asked as she entered Natsume's apartment on a Saturday morning. "You're so busy with work during the week, and I already drag you around hiking a couple times a month. I'd hate to take away what little free time you have."

"Are you kidding?" Natsume asked. "I think I've made my thoughts about our hikes clear, and gaming is one of my favorite ways to spend my free time. You remember that, don't you?"

"I remember," Ema said. After she mentioned missing two-person games during their last hike, Natsume had invited her over to try out a new one that had just come out.

While Ema loved their hikes, she was excited for his. Despite the seven-year age gap, they'd been good gaming partners, whether playing against each other or as a team, before Ema had left. The only person who'd Ema had to play games with for seven years was Arisa, who didn't really like gaming, and Erik for a while. Erik had enjoyed gaming, but hadn't been as good as Natsume. She pushed thoughts of Erik aside hoping he'd soon stop popping into her head on a weekly basis.

Meowing brought her attention back to the present.

"Oh, you have cats!" Ema exclaimed, bending down to pet the cat twining itself around Natsume's legs. "They're so cute."

"Tsubaki, do you really have to be in the way all the time?" Natsume asked, dancing around to stop himself from being tripped.

"Tsubaki?" Ema repeated, looking at Natsume with a curious expression. She took a look at his second cat and realized it was nearly identical to the first. Ema grinned. "You named your cats Tsubaki and Azusa?" If the one she was petting was named Tsubaki, she couldn't imagine the other cat's name could be anything other than Azusa.

"Yes," Natsume sighed. "They're named after my triplets."

"Isn't that a little confusing when Tsubaki and Azusa come visit you? Or did you name them that because you missed your triplets more than you thought you would when you moved out?"

"I assure you I did _not_ miss those two more than I thought I would," Natsume said dryly. "They're names kind of happened by accident. I wasn't planning on getting any pets when I moved out, but a few years ago there was a pet adoption fair next to a place I like to buy games. I decided to go over and just have a look. These two caught my eye. Azusa was sitting calmly while Tsubaki ran around like crazy, getting into everything within reach, including harassing his brother. Every time Tsubaki tried to get his brother to join his antics, Azusa seemed to have this resigned look on his face, but would get on his feet and follow his brother around."

His eyes went to Azusa, who was sitting calmly on a cat stand as Tsubaki stalked up behind him. Natsume smiled and it surprised Ema. From what she remembered, Natsume didn't smile very often. The smile looked good on him.

"It reminded me so much of my triplets that I ended up in a conversation with one of the ladies running the adoption fair. The next thing I knew, these two were in a carrier ready to come home with me and the lady had already named them after Tsubaki and Azusa. The names were so fitting that I couldn't think of anything else to change them to, so I let the names stay. My brothers don't mind."

"And is it confusing?" Ema prompted when it seemed Natsume had forgotten her first question.

"Not as much as you would think," Natsume said wryly. "Tsubaki the man causes about as much trouble as Tsubaki the cat. Usually, I'm chastising them both at the same time."

Ema giggled. Natsume had always had less patience for Tsubaki's antics than Azusa. "I see. And how do Tsubaki and Azusa the men feel about their feline namesakes?"

Natsume shrugged. "They don't seem to mind. I think they're equal parts baffled and flattered by it. Enough about the cats. Ready to move on to our game?"

"Yes!"

~.~

Juli scurried around the house, searching for his quarry. With Chi out of the house now was the perfect time to speak with him. He knew Chi wouldn't want him to do this. She was completely ignorant of the situation she was in and refused to listen to a word he said.

Admittedly, nothing had happened yet, but it was the _yet_ part that was important. Juli was grateful none of the brothers had pounced on Ema when she arrived, but that didn't mean they weren't planning to later, or that their feelings wouldn't change. He only trusted one of them with his precious Chi. Well, maybe two or three of them were okay. The youngest seemed to only regard Chi as an older sister and the oldest seemed pretty responsible, but Juli wasn't ready to rule either of them out as possible threats just yet.

He just hoped his quarry would agree with him. And that his quarry was home. He seemed to spend a lot of time at work.

Juli was out of breath by the time he reached Louis' door. He wasn't used to living in a house with so much space. Why did these boys need a freaking apartment complex as their home?

He paused to catch his breath before scratching at the door, hoping Louis would answer.

Thankfully, Louis did open the door. He looked around the hallway, a bemused expression on his face.

"Down here!" Juli called, waving one paw.

"Oh, it's you," Louis said, stepping back to allow Juli into his room. "What can I do for you? Is Chi out right now?"

Juli nodded as he walked into Louis' room. "Yeah, she's over at Natsume's playing video games with him." He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "That girl's as crazy about games as ever and I think she's just been waiting for an opportunity to play video games with Natsume again since she set foot in Japan. She complained that she hasn't had any real gaming partners for years, and no one in the house is as good as Natsume."

For that, Juli was grateful. Gaming seemed like too good an opportunity to get close with Chi. The last thing Juli needed was to worry about one of the brothers spending hours with Chi every week playing together. Luckily, Natsume no longer lived at Sunrise Mansion, and the only gamers in the house who could hope to compare were Subaru and Yusuke, neither of which seemed inclined to be close to Chi. And they had better stay that way if they knew what was good for them.

Louis nodded. "I see. She did always love video games, didn't she? Are you here because you're bored with her gone? I have a new hair treatment I could try on your fur."

Juli opened his mouth to refuse since that wasn't why he had come, but then paused. Why not treat himself a little while he told Louis about his worries? His fur was looking a little lank these days. Probably because he was stressing so much about Chi's safety in this house.

"Well, I didn't come here because I was bored, but I would love to talk while I get that hair treatment you mentioned."

Louis smiled. "All right. Let's move to my bathroom then."

Juli started talking while Louis got ready.

"I've wanted to talk to you about this for a while. You're the only brother I can trust with this."

"Oh?" Louis paused for a moment to stare at Juli, then continued. "Go on. What is it you can trust only me with?"

"Well, you see…" How to say what he needed to say without offending Louis? He definitely couldn't talk to Louis the same way he talked with Chi about the Asahina brothers. "I have some concerns with Chi's living situation. You see, she's a girl. A woman, I mean. A young, beautiful, vibrant woman who is suddenly living with a bunch of boys. None of whom, as far as I can tell, have a special lady in their lives."

"You're worried about Chi living with a bunch of guys who aren't related to her?" He clarified as he started working the hair solution into Juli's fur.

Juli fought down a purr at how good it felt. "Exactly. I'm not saying your brothers aren't good guys." Except, they probably weren't. "It's just the situation that has me concerned."

"I see. Is Chi concerned as well?"

Frustrated, Juli folded his arms, though had to unfold them a moment later so Louis could lather his arms. _She should be,_ is what Juli wanted to say. "No, I can't say that she is. I've talked with her about my concerns, but she thinks I'm being silly." He winced. He was here to try to convince Louis to be concerned as well, not make him think Juli was being paranoid like Chi did. He tried to fix his mistake.

"I mean, she hasn't been around all that many guys, so she doesn't know what can happen when guys and girls are close and they spend a lot of time together. You know what I mean?" He mentally prayed as hard as he could that the answer would be yes.

Louis nodded thoughtfully. "I think I do. Whether Chi realizes it yet or not, it's probably difficult to be the only girl in a house with eleven boys. And you never know what could happen. Some of my brothers are close in age with her." Louis made a _hmm_ sound as he worked through a tangle in Juli's fur. "So, what is it your proposing we do about your concern?"

"I think we should form a coalition to protect Chi," Juli immediately said, happy Louis seemed receptive to what he was saying. "I want to keep her from being alone with your brothers as much as possible. At least until everything gets settled." That last part was a lie, but Juli hoped in the meantime Louis would realize what a perilous situation Chi was in and agree with Juli that it was best that Chi _always_ be watched around the Asahina brothers.

"I'm not always home very often," Louis said. "I work odd hours at the salon since we need to meet the needs of customers who work during the day, but I'll do what I can to help. The 'Protect Chi' coalition is officially formed."

Juli wanted to shout for joy, but managed to keep his shout on the inside.

~.~

"You really are incredibly good," Natsume said, then nearly winced as he remembered the conversation he and Ema had the first time they went hiking. He hoped the compliment wouldn't upset her. The two of them had played together on several occasions before Ema moved, but now she was even better than him. He felt it was a little shameful since he worked on video games for a living.

Ema shrugged one shoulder. "Lots of dedicated practice," she said lightly. "I did enjoy exploring whatever new area or city Dad and I lived in, but you can only do that for so long."

"True," Natsume agreed, wondering if, even beyond the struggle of making friends, Ema had gotten tired of always being in a new place. Exploring new places was an adventure in and of itself, but new was fun because it was different from your normal routine. If new _was_ your normal routine, it might not be so fun.

For the first time, Natsume really thought about his mother's decision to offer Ema a home at Sunrise Mansion. He'd thought his mother's only motive had been to allow Ema to attend a normal high school, which was a perfectly understandable and justifiable motive, but maybe there had been more to his mother's decision. Had she known something about Ema's situation or Ema's feelings that had prompted her to make the offer? Was it the struggle with friends, or had something else happened?

He was contemplating that when his character died. Again. "How did you do that move?" Natsume asked. He'd finally figured out where she'd gotten her flame thrower from and gotten one himself, but now she'd used it to cause an explosion.

Ema grinned. "Tricks of the trade. You can't be the best at video games if you just give your secrets away."

Natsume smiled back. "I suppose. You always seem to find out the secret moves and levels with these games." Then a thought occurred to him and he paused the game.

"Something wrong?" Ema asked, turning to him.

"Not at all," Natsume said. "I was just thinking that you would make a really good demo girl for my company's games."

"Demo girl?" Ema asked.

"Sure. I could bring you demos of new games if you'd give me feedback. Let me know if it's too hard, or if there's glitches we didn't catch. It can be really valuable to get input from our target market before release. What do you say?"

Ema's grin was back in place. "I'd say that it'd be worth it to have come back to Japan just for that."


	13. Basketball

**Chapter 13: Basketball**

"You can do this," Yusuke told his image in the mirror. "You two have been getting along really well at school and she seems to like you okay. She makes you lunch every day and you always eat lunch together. You just need to get a little closer to her to become friends. And then—and then—"

Yusuke flushed red just at the thought of what might come after. At what _hopefully_ would come after. Ema was just as amazing as she'd been when they were kids and Yusuke had first started to like her. Better, even. He wanted to capture Ema's attention before any other guy did, but he was still an idiot around her. Too ornery and offish. He knew it, but he was doing a little better around her and he hoped spending some relaxing time with her outside of school would help him be more comfortable with her. More real with her.

He slapped his cheeks to bring himself back to the present. "Just invite her!" He ordered himself. It wasn't a date. It was just two classmates going to watch a game together that was all. And he'd present the idea as them supporting Subaru, so it would look natural. Completely natural.

~.~

"H-hey, are you doing anything this Saturday?" Yusuke asked as Ema made dinner. Thankfully, Ukyo had to stay late at work. Yusuke wasn't sure he could have gotten up the nerve to ask Ema if anyone else had been present.

"I don't think so," Ema said, looking up from chopping vegetables. "Ukyo and I will plan out next week's meals, but that won't take us very long. Why? Is there homework you wanted help with?"

"No," Yusuke said, shaking his head and hoping he wasn't blushing. That was another great thing about Ema. She was definitely smarter than him and always willing to help him with homework. She never seemed to think he was stupid or resent the time she spent helping him. "Subaru has a basketball game on Saturday and I was wondering if you wanted to come with me. You know, to cheer him on and stuff. You haven't been to one of his games before. He's really good, so it's fun to watch. And the energy of the crowd is fun to be around. Watching a sports game in person is way cooler than watching over the TV."

"I've never been to a sports game before," Ema said, then smiled. "Sure. It sounds like fun. Thanks, Yusuke." Her smile widened. "It will prepare me to know how to cheer for you when you have your first soccer game."

Now Yusuke knew for sure he was blushing. He'd hopped Ema would come to his games. After all, the whole reason he'd agreed to help out the soccer team was because Ema had said it would be cool to watch him play, but he'd been too afraid to ask if she still planned to come when they had their first game in a few weeks. He'd hoped that inviting her to watch Subaru would be a step toward him being able to invite Ema to his game, but, apparently, he wouldn't have to after all. He was so happy he could almost cry.

~.~

"There's a lot of people here," Ema said, looking around at the crowd.

"Yeah, college games are pretty popular," Yusuke said. "Don't expect to find a crowd like this at our high school's soccer game."

"That's okay," Ema assured Yusuke. "I still think it will be fun."

She was excited to be at Subaru's basketball game for multiple reasons. Number one was that Yusuke had invited her. Yusuke wasn't always the friendliest with her, but she had come to understand that he wasn't the friendliest with anyone, including his brothers other than Subaru, who was clearly Yusuke's favorite. The fact that Yusuke had invited Ema to come to his favorite brother's game with him made Ema think Yusuke had fully accepted her presence at Sunrise Mansion. She was grateful her work toward making Yusuke comfortable with her had paid off.

Not only was one of the three brothers upset with Ema's presence okay with her now, but Yusuke was becoming a real friend to Ema. It was nice to get to go to school with a friend.

The second reason she was excited to be there was because she hoped this experience would help her understand Subaru better and maybe draw a little closer to him. Basketball was obviously the most important thing in Subaru's life, but Ema knew nothing about basketball. Maybe if she learned more about basketball and could talk with Subaru about it, or at least if she supported him at his games, he'd be a little more comfortable with Ema living in his house.

She only hoped she _would_ find the game interesting. Since she'd never watched basketball before, she didn't know what she would think of it. If she found it boring, she was pretty sure her chances of becoming friends, or at least polite housemates, with Subaru were doomed.

The game started and Ema bit her lip as she tried to make Subaru out among all the players.

"Which one is Subaru?" She finally asked. She'd thought she'd caught a glimpse of him here and there, but wasn't sure. Subaru would hardly be impressed if she congratulated him at the end of the game for a basket or pass he didn't make.

"There, number fourteen," Yusuke said, pointing out one of the Meiji players. "Sorry, I should have told you his number earlier."

"It's fine," Ema said, but Yusuke's attention was already back on the game. She took a moment to really look at Yusuke. He was more excited than Ema had ever seen him. His eyes were bright and he followed the players movement's like it was his own team playing down there.

While she knew Yusuke liked sports, she was sure it was watching the older brother he admired that made him so excited rather than getting to watch a college basketball game in person. Ema hid her smile behind her hand. It was adorable to see how much Yusuke looked up to Subaru. He didn't seem to get along well with many of his other brothers, so Ema was glad he had Subaru.

The thought made Ema wonder if Subaru had anyone to look up to now that he and Natsume didn't get along. They had been so close before Ema left. Subaru had even played video games with Ema and Natsume a couple times. Not that he'd ever said anything to Ema, but spending time with Natsume had meant so much to him that he'd even been willing to put up with Ema's presence.

Ema's thoughts were interrupted when the crowd suddenly booed. One of the players from the opposing team had elbowed a Meiji player hard in the stomach. Then Ema noticed the number of the elbowed player was fourteen. She gasped. "Subaru!"

A timeout was called and the offending player was penalized.

"That's terrible!" Ema said. "Does something like that often happen in basketball?"

"No," Yusuke said, his eyes narrowing in anger. "That guy just couldn't stand how pathetic he is compared to Subaru. He couldn't make any moves against him, so lost his temper. What an idiot. A player who loses his temper will never become a professional."

"Is that what Subaru wants to do?" Ema asked, surprised. "Become a professional basketball player?"

Yusuke nodded, some of the light coming back into his eyes. "Yeah. It's been his dream for years, and he's had scouts at some of his games."

"That's amazing," Ema said, paying better attention to the game. She was surprised when the timeout ended and Subaru came back onto the court. She'd expected him to take a break after being elbowed like that. Watching the game, Ema could see how talented Subaru was. There were other good players from both teams, but Subaru still stood out.

"Subaru's making more baskets than anyone!" Ema said excitedly.

"Yeah, I know!" Yusuke said. Ema missed the suddenly sharp look he gave her and the frown on his face when he turned back to the game.

~.~

Meiji University, Subaru's team, won thanks to Subaru. Ema and Yusuke stayed to talk with him after. Subaru smiled when he saw Yusuke, but the smile disappeared when he realized Ema stood next to Yusuke.

Ema's heart clenched, but she struggled to keep the smile on her face. Rejection in any form was never easy, but that was why she was here. To hopefully make Subaru a little more comfortable with her presence.

"Sorry for intruding, Subaru," Ema said when he got closer. "Yusuke invited me since I've never seen a basketball game before. You were really amazing! Meiji won because of you. I bet the scouts have been really impressed with your performance. Not that I know anything about basketball, of course."

"Um, thanks," Subaru said, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.

Realizing that Subaru and Yusuke probably wanted to talk and that Subaru never talked in front of her, she said, "I'm going to get a drink from the vending machine. Do you want anything, Yusuke?"

"No, I'm good."

"Subaru?"

Subaru looked surprised at being addressed by Ema and actually met her eyes for a second before looking away. "No, thanks."

Ema nodded before turning and leaving.

~.~

Yusuke was surprised to watch Subaru visibly relax when Ema walked away.

"Why did you bring her?" Subaru asked. Yusuke was again surprised to see that Subaru was upset.

"What's wrong with me bringing her?" Yusuke asked. "Like she said, she's never seen a basketball game before. I thought this would be a fun way to introduce her to it. And I wanted her to see what a good player you are." For a moment he'd regretted wanting Ema to see Subaru in action. He'd been worried when she'd seemed to think Subaru was so cool part way through the game, but it looked like he didn't have anything to worry about. Subaru looked and sounded like he couldn't stand Ema. Had that been going on the whole time Ema had been living at Sunrise Mansion? It had been over a month.

"Why does she need to see that?" Subaru asked. "And I thought you were as upset as me that she was coming to live with us. What made you change your mind?"

Yusuke had forgotten that Subaru had told the family he didn't want Ema to come live with them, and then Masaomi had scolded him for not wanting to help Ema.

"It's not that I didn't want her to come back to Japan," Yusuke said, looking at the ground rather than Subaru. "We were friends before, remember? I just thought it would be awkward for us to live in the same house and go to the same school, but it's been fine. Plus, she's a really good cook. The dinners she makes with Ukyo are even better than the ones Ukyo used to make by himself." He hoped Subaru didn't remember that he and Ema hadn't actually been friends when Ema had left. He was pretty sure Subaru hadn't paid enough attention to notice.

"Even if you're not happy she's at the house, why do you care that she came to your game? She thought you were really cool out there and was really worried when you got hit. She was impressed you were dedicated enough to get back on the court even after you were hurt. What's your problem with her?"

Yusuke suddenly realized that he was on the verge of fighting with the one brother he never fought with and fell silent. He didn't regret what he'd said, though. Subaru was his favorite brother, but he couldn't help feeling protective of Ema. They spent a lot of time together, after all, and she did a lot for him making him lunch every day and helping him with homework.

Subaru blinked in surprise. "She was?"

Yusuke sighed. "Yes, she was, but if you don't want her here, I won't bring her again. You might spoil how she thinks of basketball, though." If he hadn't already by being so rude to her. Yusuke hoped he'd never been that rude to Ema.

"It—it's fine." Subaru looked awkward as he gazed in the direction Ema had gone. "Look, it's just hard to adjust having a girl in the house, all right? I don't have anything against Ema personally. If she were a guy, I wouldn't have a problem with her living there. It's been just us guys for a long time. I don't even know how old I was when Mom moved to her apartment in the city. You can bring her again if you want."

Yusuke relaxed. He hadn't thought about the situation from Subaru's perspective. Or any of his brothers' perspectives, really. He'd been too caught up in his own mixed emotions on the matter. "Yeah, okay, I can see that. It is a big change to have a girl in the house. Just try to give her a chance, all right? She's really nice and this is a big change for her too. She's trying hard to fit in at high school for the first time and at our house." He was pretty sure that being helpful was part of Ema's nature, but he was also concerned that part of why she helped everyone was because she was worried about not being welcome at the Asahina's home.

"Fine," Subaru agreed. "I'll try."

~.~

Ema was walking down the hall that night to give a comic she'd borrowed from Yusuke back to him when she passed Subaru's room. His door was open and she gasped when she saw him take off his shirt.

His gaze jerked to her, but her eyes were on the purple bruise covering the left half of his chest.

"That looks really bad. You should ice it, Subaru," she said. "I'll go get some." She turned and hurried toward the kitchen.

"Someone chasing you?" Kaname asked as Ema hurried past him.

"Subaru got hurt at his game," Ema called over her shoulder. "I'm getting him some ice."

She returned to Subaru's room a moment later and handed him an ice pack wrapped in a dish towel.

"You didn't have to do that," Subaru said, taking the ice pack.

"You have to take good care of your body," Ema argued. "You've got scouts watching you and a bruise like that could make you move slower during your next game. Now isn't the time for an injury." She glanced behind her at Yusuke's comic that she'd carelessly tossed on the ground after seeing Subaru's bruise and winced. She hoped she hadn't hurt it. "Anyway, sorry to intrude in your room. I'll see you later, Subaru."

~.~

Door now shut, Subaru held the ice pack to his chest and stared at the basketball sitting in the corner of his room. He was a jerk. His first thought when he'd heard Ema gasp was that she was offended over him taking his shirt off with his door open, but that hadn't been it at all. She'd only been concerned about his bruise.

The whole time she'd been there he'd done his best to ignore her and not be wherever she was, but Yusuke was right. Ema was really nice and a really good cook.

He should make an effort to talk to her. The only problem was, since he never spoke to girls, he didn't actually know what to say to one.


	14. Trying

**Chapter 14: Trying**

Ema was preparing dinner when she noticed Subaru standing on the other side of the kitchen island. He was so quiet she wondered how long he'd been standing there.

"Hey," she said, not sure what else to say. She was about to ask if he needed anything when he spoke.

"So, you enjoyed the game on Saturday? At least, Yusuke said you did."

That wasn't what Ema had expected. "Yes, I did," she said, stopping in the middle of measuring a spice to give Subaru more attention. "I'd never attended a sports game before. It was really cool. You were amazing to watch. I'm glad Yusuke invited me."

"Cool," Subaru said, rubbing the back of his head. As usual, he was staring at the counter rather looking at Ema, but at least he was speaking to her. More than that, he was the one who had initiated the conversation. "You could go to more games with him. If you wanted."

"Thanks!" Ema chirped, wondering where this change had come from. He hadn't seemed pleased to see Ema standing next to Yusuke after his game.

Her eyes went to his chest as though she could see his bruise through his shirt. "How's your bruise? Did practice go okay today?"

"Yeah, it did," Subaru said, his hand going to his chest. "The ice helped yesterday. Thanks for that. I didn't even think of putting anything on it."

Ema smiled, pleased she'd been able to help. "I'm glad!"

Not wanting the first pleasant conversation she'd had with Subaru to end, Ema wracked her brain for something to say to keep the conversation going. "What position do you play on the team?" She blushed after asking that, thinking Subaru might think she was dumb for not knowing that when she'd watched him play a whole game. "Sorry, I probably should have asked Yusuke that when we went to watch your game."

"No, you're fine," Subaru said, shaking his head and actually glancing at Ema. "Yusuke said you'd never seen a basketball game before. There's no reason why you would have known that."

Subaru told Ema and then went on to explain what his position did as well as all the other positions on a basketball team. Ema wasn't enthusiastic enough about sports to be enthralled with the conversation, but she enjoyed seeing Subaru so animated. She hadn't known he could get so excited about something.

Besides, if talking about basketball made Subaru more comfortable with Ema, she was fine if that was the only topic they ever talked about. Although she did try to keep her smile about how cute Subaru looked when he was excited to herself. She didn't think he would appreciate Ema having that thought.

~.~

Fuuto got home later that night and, as usual, ignored everyone on the way to his room. Ema bit her lip as she watched him walk away. He looked tired. It hadn't escaped Ema's notice how hard Fuuto worked. She was impressed that despite his young age he still took his job seriously and worked long hours. And he did well in school. Ema couldn't help being impressed, even if Fuuto was a jerk.

She looked at the fridge and sighed. There weren't any leftovers from tonight's dinner for Fuuto. It was possible he'd already eaten since it was eight, but she was worried he hadn't yet. He was only fifteen and deserved to have dinner available for him when he got home, whether he needed it or not.

A week ago, she and Ukyo had made pesto sandwiches and Ema had noticed Fuuto take seconds. Either he'd been really hungry that night, or he liked the pesto. She decided to bet that the later was the case and make him a pesto sandwich. They still had a little left in the fridge and she didn't have plans to use it for anything else anyway.

Sandwich made, Ema stood outside Fuuto's door trying to work up the courage to knock. It had somehow been an easy decision to _make_ the sandwich for Fuuto, but actually _giving_ it to him was another matter. He wouldn't be pleased to have Ema outside his room. She knew that. And he might have already eaten and think Ema was stupid for making him a sandwich.

Blowing out a breath, she knocked. Fuuto had made it clear he already thought she was stupid, so it wasn't like this could make anything worse.

"What?" Fuuto barked as he opened the door. Despite being slightly shorter than Ema, he managed to look down his nose at her. "Oh, it's you. What do you want?"

"I thought you might not have eaten yet," Ema said, holding up the plate. "So, I made you a pesto sandwich with the leftover pesto."

Fuuto stared at the sandwich with an unreadable look in his eyes.

"What are you trying to gain from this?" He finally asked her. "Are you hoping to get a famous idol in your debt by making _sandwiches?_ Or are you hoping I'll do something stupid like fall in love with an ugly girl like you because you help take care of me? I deal with this kind of thing all the time you know, and from girls a lot prettier than you."

Ema flushed in anger. Her first desire was to lash out, but she knew what it was like to have people want to get close to you for reasons that had nothing to do with who you were as a person. Fuuto was a national idol and Ema had yet to see him bring anyone home or talk to anyone on the phone other than his manager. Was he even able to have friends with the lifestyle he lived?

Reigning in her anger, Ema smiled brightly at Fuuto. "Not at all. I've never liked your music well enough to bother buying it, so if I wanted to get close to a celebrity, it wouldn't be you." Shock and anger came over Fuuto face, so she truthfully added, "I do enjoy watching your concerts on TV though. You're a very good performer."

She thrust the plate with the sandwich at him and, automatically, his hands came up to take it. "Here. You can eat it or not. The choice is yours." Then she spun on her heel and left.

~.~

Fuuto glared at Ema's retreating back. What a coward to say stuff like that to him and then just walk away before he could respond.

Looking down at the sandwich in his hands, he pursed his lips. He didn't like having Ema in the house, but she _was_ a good cook. Even better than Ukyo. There was no reason for him not to take advantage of her cooking if she was willing to offer it.

~.~

"Hey, Ema, I haven't eaten dinner yet. Will you make something for me?" Fuuto asked.

Ema was sitting at the kitchen table with Yusuke doing homework. The red-headed idiot may have acted like he didn't want Ema to come live with them when they first heard about it, but he was obviously happy about having her there. The two of them seemed to do their homework together every night and even played video games with Wataru or Subaru in the living room sometimes. It was so annoying.

Ema blinked at him in surprise.

"There are leftovers from dinner in the fridge, idiot," Yusuke said, barely looking up from his textbook. "Heat it up yourself."

"Ema makes it taste better," Fuuto argued. "I'm not a chef like her."

"Ema's not your servant," Yusuke said, glaring at his younger brother.

"So, she's your servant helping you with your homework every night?" Fuuto asked. "You should learn how to figure things out instead of just relying on her."

"Yusuke and I do homework together because we have the same homework and because we're friends," Ema said, getting up and heading to the kitchen.

The look on Yusuke's face over Ema's words was so happy it was pathetic. Fuuto just managed to stop himself from rolling his eyes. A loser like that would never get a girl to fall for him. Particularly not a well-traveled one like Ema. Not that she acted well-traveled other than the variety of food she was able to make.

~.~

Ema knew it was obnoxious of Fuuto for him to ask her to get his food, but she took it as proof that he did enjoy her cooking, which pleased her. She found it ironic that even though Fuuto and Yusuke were so different and didn't get along at all, food appeared to be the best way for her to get on both their good sides.

She wondered if a lot of boys were this simple or if it was just the Asahina brothers. Not that she minded, of course. Not since cooking was something she excelled at.

~.~

Fuuto barely resisted the urge to shake his head as he watched Ema help Tsubaki and Azusa clean up the living room from the mess a cast party had left. Ema hadn't even been part of the party, yet there she was, helping to cleanup.

"It's kind of pathetic to watch, you know," Fuuto said when Ema walked by him to search for the mop.

"Excuse me?" She said, stopping and giving him a confused look.

"I accused you of trying to get close to me, but it's all of us Asahinas you're trying to ingratiate yourself with. You help Ukyo cook dinner. You make Yusuke's lunch for school. You help cleanup and help the red-headed idiot and Wataru with their homework. It's pathetic. I thought you just wanted to get close to the idol of the family, but it's the whole powerful Asahina family you want indebted to you."

Ema's eyes flashed with anger and Fuuto had to stop himself from taking a step back. It was an odd look to see on her face, though he'd seen it a time or two now. Ema had been so timid before she left Japan. She never raised her voice or got mad, and did everything she could to avoid conflict. No matter how rude Fuuto had been to her, she'd never reacted.

He watched as she took a moment to compose herself, drawing that anger back in. He kind of wondered what she'd look like if she let that anger explode instead.

"I owe the Asahina family," she told him, "for allowing me to live here so I can go to high school. I want to show them my gratitude and how much they mean to me as my friends and as people who are making a sacrifice for my sake. I also don't want to be a burden when everyone is doing so much for me, which means helping around the house."

She paused and gave him a considering look. "You know, I'm sure it's not near to the same extent as for you, but I do know what it's like to have people say they want to be your friend when they don't really want to be your friend. I had so many people when I traveled who hoped to meet my dad or get on his show through me."

Ema took a step closer to Fuuto, a challenge in her eyes. "I am here to fly under the radar and just be a normal girl at a public school. No one at Hinode High other than Yusuke even knows who my father is, and I plan to keep it that way."

She smiled a little, though not like she was happy. Fuuto would almost call it a sarcastic smile, except Ema Hinata didn't have a sarcastic smile. "I know you think very highly of yourself, Fuuto, but getting close to you, a national idol, would be counterproductive to my goal in Japan. I love most of the Asahinas and want to be helpful to them, but I also just want to be a teenager going to school for once in my life, so I have no desire to be close to you. My only goal regarding you is to make my presence as least annoying as I can since it is your home I'm living in."

Having finished what she wanted to say, Ema continued on. For once, Fuuto had no comeback.


	15. Games

**Chapter 15 Games**

"No fair!" Wataru cried. "Yusuke and I lost again. Yusuke, why aren't you better at this game?"

"Because I'm stuck playing with a loser like you," Yusuke said, punching Wataru's shoulder.

"Wahh! Ema, Yusuke hit me!"

"Yusuke, don't hit Wataru," Ema said, wondering why Wataru was complaining to her rather than Subaru. As Yusuke's older brother, Subaru had more of a right to tell Yusuke not to hit anyone. And as someone Yusuke admired, it would probably also have a greater effect coming from Subaru.

"You and Subaru are too good at this game," Wataru pouted. "We need to switch teams."

"Why should we have to switch teams just because you two can't figure out how to play this game?" Subaru asked. "You were talking about how fun it was just a moment ago."

Ema hid her smile, happy Subaru would choose to play on her team even over Yusuke. Plus, they did make a good team. Subaru was better at video games than Ema would have thought. Perhaps it was from the hand-eye coordination he'd learned from playing basketball.

They were playing a team shooter game Natsume's company had just released that he'd recommend to her. She'd suggested the four of them play it together, though had _not_ mentioned where the game came from. She was pretty sure Subaru would have refused to play it if he'd known.

"That was before Yusuke and I lost every time," Wataru said, dropping his controller and folding his arms. "I want to be on Ema's team. You can be with Subaru, Yusuke."

Subaru sighed and gave Ema a long-suffering look. "Fine."

They rearranged the teams in the game before beginning the next round.

Ema didn't know what made her do it. Maybe it was because she was so happy that she and Subaru were getting along now, or maybe she was feeling playful and wanted to tease Yusuke and Wataru for making them change teams. She was far more motivated and stubborn when it came to video games than those two. She would had persevered if she'd been the loser, demanding they stick with the current teams until she found a way to beat her opponents.

Whatever it was, Ema slyly had her character help Subaru's, just doing little things here and there. Leaving ammo where his character would find it. Setting up a barrier that mostly protected him from an explosion. It was a couple minutes before Subaru realized what she was doing. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw his brow wrinkle in confusion, then his expression cleared and he started doing the same things for her.

They played another half hour without either team losing when Yusuke burst out, "You two are still doing it! You're still working together!"

Ema threw her head back and laughed. "It took you forever to notice! We've been helping each other out from the time we switched teams."

"How could you, Onee-chan?" Wataru asked, his expression such a look of betrayal that it almost made Ema laugh again.

"I'm sorry," she said, ruffling his hair. "I promise I'll make it up to you another time, okay?"

Wataru puffed out his cheeks, looking mutinous, but he finally nodded his agreement.

"You two should have played better," Subaru said, even less sympathetic than Ema. "Then this wouldn't have happened.

~.~

"Hey, Ema," Subaru called to Ema after dinner.

She paused partway down the stairs to look up at him. "Yes, Subaru?"

"Thanks again for sharing your game with us. It was a lot of fun. You're really good."

"You too," Ema said flashing him a grin. "It was fun being partners." She barely stopped herself from saying she hadn't realized any of the other Asahina brothers were as good as Natsume at video games. Subaru would not have appreciated the comparison.

"We should play again sometime. Though maybe with Tsubaki and Azusa instead of Yusuke and Wataru."

"Sure," Ema agreed. "That would be fun." Though she was pretty sure Tsubaki might throw an even bigger fit than Wataru if he and Azusa lost every round. "'Night, Subaru." She resumed her way down the stairs and winced. She and Natsume had gone on a more serious hike yesterday and her calves were killing her.

"Are you okay?" Subaru asked, concerned.

"Um, just limping a bit," Ema said. "I've been able to walk normal most of the day, but stairs are a bit harder. I just overdid it with a hike yesterday, that's all."

"I didn't know you went hiking," Subaru said, coming down a few stairs. Ema was pretty sure that no one other than Louis and Natsume knew. Not that it was a secret, it just wasn't something she advertised. The twins might also know if Natsume had told them.

"I have a cream for sore muscles if you'd like to borrow it," Subaru offered. "I use it after practice sometimes and it works pretty well."

Ema smiled. "Thank you, Subaru. I'd love to try some. It'd be nice to be able to go up the stairs at school tomorrow without wincing."

~.~

Subaru fidgeted with the cream that Ema had just brought back to him. It was kind of amazing. He'd made the offer without even thinking about it. Having Ema in the house was starting to feel natural and even kind of nice. She was a great cook and a great video game player. He'd known that Ema liked to play video games before, but he still didn't generally think of girls as being into the same kinds of games as him.

And she seemed to like talking about basketball with him. She always seemed interested in what he had to say about his games or professional games he'd watched. She'd even watched a pro game on TV with him and Yusuke.

It was nice to have a girl he could actually talk to unlike the ones at school. They always seemed so chatty and gossipy, and some looked at the guys on the basketball team like they were just waiting to pounce on them. Ema wasn't like any of them. He hadn't known that a girl could be like Ema.

~.~

Yusuke lay in bed that night, staring up at the ceiling. He was afraid he was going to have another sleepless night. He seemed to have a lot of those since Ema had moved in. Not that he was blaming her, her presence just…made things complicated.

He couldn't get the scene from that afternoon out of his mind, of how well Ema and Subaru played together, and the fact that they'd still acted like they were on the same team even after technically switching. And they hadn't said a word to each other about it. It was almost like their thoughts were in sync. They hadn't even had to talk to each other about helping each other out, they'd just done.

When had the two of them become so close? Yusuke had noticed Subaru being a little nicer to Ema after his game, but he hadn't thought they'd become _that_ close. He _hoped_ they weren't that close. Of course, he wanted his favorite brother and the girl he liked to be friends, but what would he do if they became more than that?

He pounded the mattress in frustration, wishing that all of this was easier. If Rintaro had just moved back with Ema, then Yusuke would get to see Ema way more than his brothers, but with her living them…No, he was probably just being paranoid. Subaru was nineteen and had never shown any interest in a girl. He was way more focused on basketball and making it into the pros. Nothing would change that. Not even Ema.

He rolled onto his side, telling himself he had nothing to worry about. Besides, that Friday was his first soccer game. He'd just have to play really well and impress Ema.

Ema had only been to one of Subaru's games, but maybe if Yusuke was good enough, Ema would go to _all_ of his.

~.~

Juli frowned at Ema as she walked back into her room after returning Subaru's muscle cream to him.

"What?" She asked, digging through her dresser for pajamas.

"You spent a lot of time playing video games with those brothers today. A little is okay. I know how much you enjoy finally getting to play with other people in person again, but don't get too carried away. You might send the wrong message if you spend too much time playing with them."

"The wrong message?" Ema repeated. "What message could I possibly send other than that I enjoy playing video games and that I like the Asahina brothers? Juli, I appreciate that you're worried about me, but none of your predictions have come true so far. Maybe instead of being paranoid, you should focus on giving the Asahina brothers more of a chance. You and Louie get along well. Why don't you try getting to know some of the other brothers better? I know it's not as easy since they can't talk to you, but I promise you they're nice."

Juli hopped down from the desk to stand outside the bathroom and continue their conversation while Ema dressed for bed. "All right, I admit that nothing has happened yet, but sometimes these things take time. I'll give the Asahinas credit for not pouncing on you immediately, but that doesn't mean they're not biding their time."

Juli paused since he was on the verge of squeaking between every other word. It was difficult for him to stop his nervous chattering when he was so concerned about Chi. Part of him almost wished something had happened so Chi would be a little more on guard around the brothers. It would only take once, and he or Louis would be right there to protect her…so long as the incident happened at home.

"Look at what Subaru did today, Chi. He hates girls. He's always hated girls, and here he is helping you just a short time after you moved in? I don't like it one bit. It's too quick a change. I think you should avoid that one for a while."

Ema poked her head out of the bathroom to give Juli a firm stare. "I've worked really hard to become Subaru's friend. I'm not going to do something silly to ruin it like stay away from him." She went back into the bathroom, pulling the tie out of her ponytail and brushing her hair out. "Besides, I think it was really sweet of him to offer to help me when he saw I was hurting. That's nothing suspicious, Juli, that's just a friend being nice."

She paused mid-brush. Subaru had seemed a little intrigued when she'd mentioned she went hiking. Maybe she could invite him to go hiking with her. And if that worked out well, maybe she could eventually bring Subaru and Natsume together through hiking…It would be nice if she could do something to help them become friends again.


	16. Competition

**Chapter 16: Competition**

"Are you ready for this?" Sasakura asked Yusuke, an excited smile on his face. "It's our first game of the season, and there's a pretty good turnout. Look, even Hinata came. I hope she comes to more of our games"

Yusuke twitched. There Sasakura went again, specifically calling Ema out. "What do you care whether she's here or not?" Yusuke asked. "Like you said, there's a big turnout today."

Sasakura blushed and looked away. "Well, I-I think I like her, you know? She's really cute and super nice. I've never heard her say anything mean to or about anyone. And she's smart. What's not to like?"

Yusuke froze. He'd been pretty suspicious that Sasakura liked Ema, but that wasn't the same thing as hearing it from Sasakura himself. Yusuke was so wrapped up in his thoughts he didn't hear the whistle for the game to start. His only warning was Sasakura hitting his shoulder and calling, "Heads up!"

~.~

Ema gasped as the soccer ball almost hit Yusuke's face, but he ducked in time and bounced it off his head instead.

"That was close," Ema said, putting a hand to her racing heart.

"Close?" Imai scoffed. "More like stupid. It looked like Asahina wasn't even paying attention! It was a nice save, though."

The stands were full of too much noise to talk after that. Even Ema and Imai were part of the noise, cheering on Yusuke and Sasakura. The Hinode High team was good, but those two stood out. Ema could see why Sasakura had been so set on Yusuke joining the soccer team, and the two of them made a good pair out there. Ema wondered if they were good friends after all.

"Yes!" Imai cried as Sasakura made the winning goal. "Yay!" She jumped out of her seat, waving her hands above her head.

Ema laughed at Imai's excitement as she clapped. It had been a good game. She was glad she'd come to watch. It was too bad Subaru wasn't there to see how well Yusuke had played.

"You should come get ice cream with us," Imai suddenly said.

"What?" Ema asked, surprised at the sudden suggestion.

"Ice cream," Imai repeated. "You should come get some with us. Kazuma and a couple of us were planning on getting some. You and Yusuke should come to."

"Okay," Ema agreed. It was a simple thing, but being invited to go out for ice cream with friends made her happy. "Thanks, Imai!"

"Enough with this Imai stuff," Imai said, flapping her hand at Ema. "Just call me Mahoko."

"Okay," Ema agreed with a smile. "Call me Ema, then."

~.~

"It was such a great game," Sasakura said, pumping one fist in the air as they sat at a table eating ice cream. Part of the soccer team and a few other students had gone out for ice cream, though it was just Sasakura, Mahoko, Yusuke, and Ema at their table.

"What did you think, Ema?" Sasakura asked her. "Would you go to another game?"

"Definitely," Ema promised. "Today was amazing! It's no wonder, though. You guys have been practicing really hard. Yusuke, I was thinking I wished Subaru could have been there to watch you play."

"Yeah?" Yusuke asked, perking up a little. "You think I was good enough to impress him?"

"Yes. And you two made such a good team! The whole team played well, but you two were really impressive. I'm already excited to see the next game."

"Then we'll have to make sure the next game is just as exciting so you keep coming," Sasakura said. "It's nice to have you at practices too, though I'm sure that's not as exciting." He hesitated. "Is there a reason you wait for Yusuke every day?"

"We walk home together most days," Ema said.

"We live close by each other!" Yusuke hurried to add. "We live close, so that's why we walk to and from school together. That's all."

Ema blinked at Yusuke in surprise and he gave her a significant look before changing the topic to a move Sasakura had done during the game.

~.~

"Sorry about interrupting you while we were having ice cream," Yusuke said once they were back at Sunrise Mansion.

"That's okay," Ema said slowly, thinking through how she wanted to phrase her question. "Is there a reason you don't want Sasakura and Mahoko to know we live together?"

Yusuke shoved his hands in his pockets and scuffed his toes on the floor. "I just don't want any dumb rumors to start that's all."

"Like what?" Ema asked. "Like that we're dating?" Despite her having no intention of dating, the thought that Yusuke would be upset at rumors of them dating hurt a little. It seemed like they were such good friends now, but would he be upset about rumors like that if they were as good of friends as she thought?

"It's not that," Yusuke said, shaking his head. His cheeks flushed a light pink. "I don't think us dating would be a dumb rumor, that would be-I mean I just-" His flush deepened. "I mean-It's-It's difficult to explain…"

"Could you stop your dumb rambling?" An annoyed voice asked.

Ema jumped. It was late at night and she hadn't realized anyone was still up. She and Yusuke looked over the railing to see Fuuto standing in front of the TV, looking pissed off. The lights in the living room were off, but the TV was on, casting a glow onto Fuuto's face. "You're annoying under the best of times, but when you ramble like that I just want to shove a sock in your mouth."

"You shut up!" Yusuke said, gripping the railing and leaning over. "This conversation has nothing to do with you. We weren't bothering you. You're just not happy unless you're the center of attention, so you have to find some way to insert yourself into every conversation."

"Oh, really?" Fuuto asked, his lips curling in a sarcastic smile. "I think the fact that you _wish_ a rumor about you and Ema dating was true might be the business of everyone in the house. It would affect us all, you know."

"Shut up!" Yusuke yelled, pounding the railing.

"Yusuke, calm down," Ema said, putting a hand on his shoulder. Nothing got him riled up like Fuuto. She wished Fuuto would be a little nicer to his siblings. At least she wasn't the only one he was mean to, though.

"It's not like that," Yusuke said, whipping around to face her. "Guys just say stupid things all the time. Like, locker room talk and stuff. If they knew we lived together, they would say things. Stupid things. I don't want anyone to talk about you like that."

Ema's eyes widened. The thought hadn't even crossed her mind. She'd been so excited and happy to move in with the Asahinas that she hadn't thought anything of it. Juli's words ran through her mind suddenly. He was being ridiculous, of course, but how many people would see the situation the same way he did? One girl living with a bunch of unmarried guys.

And from the beginning, Yusuke hadn't wanted anyone to know they lived together because of what people might say about her. She realized that now. On the first day of school, Yusuke had been quick to say that he walked with Ema to school because they were childhood friends, and not because they lived together. Maybe the reason behind him being helpful to her from the beginning wasn't because his brothers made him after all.

"Thank you, Yusuke," Ema said, throwing her arms around him in a hug. "I'll make sure no one finds out either. Thank you for caring."

Yusuke was blushing and stuttering when she pulled away. He stuffed his hands in his pockets as he said it was nothing and stared at the floor. Ema had to work to keep in her giggle. Yusuke looked adorable. He may not have been terrified of girls like Subaru was, but he probably didn't have much more experience with them than Subaru did.

"Well, thanks for coming to the game today," Yusuke said. "I'm glad you had a good time." He paused, then shrugged. "It'd be nice if you could come to the next one too." He spoke quietly, either because he was embarrassed or because he didn't want Fuuto to hear.

Ema smiled. "I'd be happy to. I'm going to get a drink before bed. Good night, Yusuke."

"Night, Ema," he said, giving her a smile and a wave before heading for his room.

Ema debated not getting a drink even as she went down the stairs to the kitchen, despite how thirsty the ice cream had made her. It had been such a good night. She got to spend time with friends and had learned Yusuke had been trying to look out for her all along. She was afraid that being near Fuuto might ruin it. He obviously liked her cooking, but so far he hadn't been any nicer to her because of it, other than offering a few less insults than before.

Deciding to pretend like Fuuto wasn't there, Ema got a glass of water. Singing coming from the TV caught her attention and despite herself, she peered over the kitchen island at what Fuuto was watching.

A handsome teen probably around Fuuto's age was singing on stage. The screen panned out to show a newscaster talking about how this new idol had exploded onto the scene, winning near instant national popularity.

"Tch," Fuuto ground out, his arms folding as he sneered at the television.

Ema suddenly realized why Fuuto was in a bad mood that night. "You're jealous," she said without thinking.

Fuuto's head whipped around, his eyes livid. Ema immediately regretted her words and had to fight the urge to take a step away from that look.

"That _idiot_ is a one hit wonder," Fuuto hissed. "He's a talentless hack who people are excited about because he's _new._ Most people are stupid and they're confusing new with fresh. They'll see the truth soon enough."

He hit the power button on the remote, making the TV black, before throwing the remote onto the couch and stalking away.

Ema breathed a sigh of relief. She'd expected much worse than that. Fuuto had to be pretty upset and distracted by this new idol if he couldn't even find it in him to ream Ema out for her spying on what he was watching TV, as he would undoubtedly call it, and daring to claim he could possibly be jealous of anyone.

Despite her feelings toward Fuuto, she did feel a little bad for him. He worked harder than plenty of adults she'd met. He was incredibly dedicated to his work and worked long hours on top of keeping up his grades at school. She wondered if he really did have a reason to be nervous over this newcomer idol, or if he was just jealous and paranoid.

~.~

Since moving back to Japan, Ema seemed to have discovered a new side of herself. She was, apparently, a busybody. At least, when it came to the Asahina brothers she was. She was pretty sure it was the result of years of wanting to care for people and wanting people to care for her all bottled up inside her, and now she finally had targets to unleash those feelings on. The Asahina brothers were practically family and she wanted to help care for them in a way she hadn't been able to the years she was away.

At least, she was pretty sure that was the real reason and not because she actually was a busybody. She didn't get involved in anyone's business at school, after all. It was only with her childhood friends that she seemed unable to help herself.

Konuro Isato was the name of Fuuto's rival, and he did look like real competition. Not only that, but _purposeful_ competition. Isato had concerts schedule during the same time as Fuuto's within the same city more than once. It was like he was specifically trying to pull Fuuto's fans away from him.

Watching videos of Isato's music and reading what fans and critics were saying, Ema didn't think he was a one hit wonder as Fuuto had claimed. Isato's voice, in her opinion, was a little better than Fuuto's. He was not, however, as good a performer and not near as good a dancer. Ema wasn't sure she'd ever seen an idol dance as well as Fuuto.

However, the striking difference between the two wasn't how their voices or their dancing. It was their attitude and how they treated those around them. Fuuto was terrible at home, but to his fans he was always kind and generous. Ema suspected it was all fake, but that didn't change the fact that that was always the face he showed them. And in interviews he was humble and respectful.

Isato was none of those things. He treated his fans as though they were his subjects and he their king, as though he was born deserving their love. And during interviews he was arrogant and rude, treating the interviewers like they should feel privileged just to be in the same room as him. Ema wasn't sure where Isato got such attitude from since he'd only been an idol for a few months. It appeared the fame had gone to his head quickly.

Part of Ema wished she'd hadn't been drawn into this and looked it all up, because now she felt obligated to tell Fuuto what she'd realized. It might not make a difference to him or change anything, or maybe it was information he already knew, but she felt like it was important to tell him. So, here she was. Outside his door. Again.

She knocked and Fuuto had a scowl on his face when he opened his door. He'd been in a terrible mood ever since that night she'd caught him watching Isato on TV.

"What do you want?" He asked, leaning against the doorjamb and giving a disgusted sigh. "I know I'm pretty to look at, but we've got to stop meeting like this."

Even if she was there to try to help Fuuto, she wouldn't let him push her around. Straightening to her full height she said, "You're too short to be cute. I like guys who are taller than me, not little boys."

Fuuto's annoyed scowl deepened into something darker and Ema hurried on before he could say anything. "I wanted to tell you something I noticed about Isato."

Fuuto stepped into his room, his hand on his door like he was going to close it. "I already told you that he's a one hit wonder. I'm not worried about him and I'm not having this conversation."

Ema pushed her arm against the door, stopping Fuuto from closing it. She was stronger than she looked thanks to rock climbing and hiking, both of which she and Natsume were now doing.

"In case you've forgotten, my dad is a celebrity too. I've learned a lot about what it takes to keep being popular and make it in a business where someone else is always trying to be better than you and push you out of the spotlight. Isato is a jerk. To the public, you're a kind-hearted, generous idol. You should capitalize on that without being obvious. Make the fans see the differences between you. In theory, girls think they like bad boys, but in reality, good boys are the ones who take care of them when they're sad or struggling. Make them see that, Fuuto."

Fuuto stopped trying to shut the door. His scowl was gone as he stared and Ema and seemed to seriously consider her words.

"Anyway," Ema said, removing her arm from the door. "I wanted to point that out to you. Whether you do anything or not about it is up to you."

~.~

The next morning, Fuuto called his manager and talked to him about doing a free concert for his fans to show his appreciation. His manager got together a team to track down girls who had sent Fuuto a fan letter, email, or gift and give them a free concert ticket. The whole concert would be made up of fans like that.

When his manager asked why Fuuto wanted to do that and Fuuto explained his reasoning, his manager was ecstatic. He thought it was a great idea and decided there should also be a raffle. One of the lucky girls there that night would get the jacket Fuuto wore on stage as a gift after the concert. He then prattled on about how they should really promote this concert with interviews where Fuuto could talk about how much his fans meant to him and how much he appreciated them. Fuuto tuned him out after a while, making his own plans for what else he could do.

~.~

 _Fuuto Asakara, crowned the most popular teen idol in Japan!_

Fuuto stared at the headline of the magazine his manger had just sent him, shocked. A few weeks ago, he'd been worried about the impact on his career because of Konuro Isato, afraid that he'd lose his fans and became a has been before he was twenty, losing his opportunity to transition into becoming an actor. His last two concerts held at the same time as Isato's had held _less_ the number of fans than Isato's, and he _knew_ plenty of those girls who'd chosen Isato's concert over his had been his fans.

Somehow, the advice of a mousy brown interloper in his house had switched that around. After his free concert, he received an outpouring of love from fans telling him they would never switch to Isato, never choose anyone over him.

At his concert last week where the bastard Isato again scheduled his concert on the same night in the same city, Fuuto's concert had over fifteen percent more tickets sold than Isato's. And here was the result of this year's poll of Japanese teens for who was the best teen idol in Japan.

Fuuto had won. Because of Ema. Well, because he was incredibly talented and infinitely better than Isato, but also because of Ema. She was turning out to be far more interesting than he ever would have guessed. And, somehow, he believed her when she said she wasn't trying to get anything from the Asahina family and that she didn't want to get close to him. She'd also said he was too short to be cute. It was galling every last bit of it.

Fuuto didn't know what he planned to do about this, but he did know one thing. Ema was far too interesting a girl for Fuuto to leave for an idiot like his brother Yusuke to hang around with.


	17. Onsen Trip

**Chapter 17: Onsen Trip**

"What do you think of this one?" Louis asked, placing a hat on Ema's head.

Ema turned to look in the mirror and tilted the hat slightly to the right. "It reminds me of France," she said. "It looks pretty cute."

"What about this one?" Louis asked, placing one on himself.

Ema grinned. The hat reminded her of the hats American mobsters wore in movies, except it was deep purple with a yellow feather.

"I think that one should look ridiculous, but purple must be your color, Louie. It looks really good on you."

He moved to stand next to her and peer into the mirror. "Maybe," he agreed. "But our hats don't go together."

Ema laughed. "No, these styles don't match at all. If you're wanting two different hat styles that match, we might have to face time Hikaru and ask him for a consultation. He's the fashion expert. Tsubaki and Azusa might be a good second choice for fashion consults, but I'm not sure I've ever seen them wear a hat."

"Fuuto would probably be a good choice too," Louis said, putting his hat back.

Ema wrinkled her nose as she put her hat back as well. She was glad Louis' back was turned so he didn't see the expression on her face. Louis was one of the few brothers Fuuto seemed to respect since he liked the way Louis did his hair, but Ema was pretty sure if she asked Fuuto for any kind of favor he would either outright refuse, or demand some form of payment.

"Who would have thought Japan had so many interesting apparel shops?" Ema asked, hooking her arm through Louis' as they left the store. They had decided to conduct their 'Japanese Adventures' in a semi-orderly fashion by picking one theme and exploring it until they decided they wanted to move on to the next. The current theme was fashion.

"Mmhm," Louis agreed. "You can find all sorts of things, though I was thinking maybe our next adventure should be a little more exciting."

"What did you have in mind?" Ema asked.

Louis smiled. "How long has it been since you've been to an onsen?"

~.~

"It's nice to get away from school for a while, don't you think?" Iori asked. "Even if it is just for the weekend."

"It's so nice," Ema agreed. "Like a mini-vacation. I wish Yusuke could have come with us." Yusuke had a makeup class he had to take that weekend, and Sasakura wanted the soccer team to have an extra practice in preparation for their game against a tough rival.

"Yusuke's too loud for an onsen," Wataru said knowingly. "That's what Fuuto said. He said that if Yusuke came, we would get kicked out because he's too loud and annoying."

"Maybe you shouldn't believe everything Fuuto says," Ema suggested, hoping she wasn't overstepping any bounds. It felt like a fine line sometimes. Wataru treated Ema like an older sister, but she didn't actually have any right to tell him to do something or not do something. She didn't want to step on any toes by telling him something his older brothers didn't agree with.

"Ema's right," Masaomi said, making her relax. "Fuuto sometimes says things he shouldn't. Yusuke may be a little loud sometimes, but not enough to be a problem. We'll have to try to schedule a trip where we can bring the whole family sometime." He smiled at Ema to let her know that included her as well.

"That would be fine," Louis agreed, "but maybe we should make the family trip longer than just a weekend. For these weekend trips, smaller groups are probably better."

"Oh?" Ukyo, the last of their group, said, raising his eyebrows. "You plan to have more trips like this?"

"Didn't I mention that?" Louis asked, though Ema was sure he hadn't. He'd simply announced that he and Ema were going for a weekend onsen trip and asked who else wanted to come. "Ema and I have regular adventures, just like she used to with her dad. Most of our adventures are around home, but we decided to expand our adventures to overnight trips too. So, yes, there will be more trips like this."

"Sounds like fun," Masaomi said, grabbing his and Wataru's bags. "And with our competing schedules, you'll get a different mix of brothers every time. That will make it more fun, I think. Every adventure will go differently depending on who you have with you."

"Every time may _be_ an adventure depending on who you bring with you," Ukyo said dryly.

"That's the intent!" Louis said cheerfully. Ema wasn't sure if she'd missed Ukyo's sarcasm, or had chosen to ignore it. Or maybe embrace it was a better way to phrase it.

She reached for her bag, but Iori got there first. "I can carry it," he told her.

Ema thought about arguing, but remembered Iori's reputation as a gentleman prince. There was probably no way he would let her carry it, which meant there was no point in arguing. "Thank you, Iori."

Iori smiled. "You do a lot for the Asahina family. We have to treat you well so you stay."

"I don't do a lot," Ema said, surprised. "I just help cook."

"Is that what you think?" Iori asked, raising his eyebrows. "I think you're underestimating yourself."

Ema wondered what he meant by that as they went to their rooms. While Ema was excited for the onsen, she was a little sad that this was an activity that would separate her from the Asahina brothers. Even if this was an onsen with mixed baths, that wasn't something she would have been comfortable with.

~.~

"It's so nice to be out of the city and get some fresh air," Masaomi said, leaning against the edge of the bath. "Outside onsens are the best when the weather's nice. This was a great idea, Louis."

"Yeah," Louis agreed, "but next time we should pick something we can all do together. I didn't think of Chi being alone when I suggested this."

"I wish Ema could be in here with us," Wataru pouted as we swam around the onsen. "It would be more fun with her here."

Ukyo shot Wataru a sharp look before remembering that Wataru was eleven and meant nothing by it. "Yes, well, it's still a nice activity, even if we are separated for a little while." Ridiculously, the thought of he and Ema alone in an onsen with her back leaning against his chest flashed through his mind. He cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses, grateful the hot water would give an excuse for his sudden blush. He had no idea where the image came from. He'd never thought of Ema that way before. She was nearly twelve years younger than him.

"But life is more fun with Ema around," Wataru argued. "I like having her live with us."

"Life is more fun with her around," Masaomi agreed. "I thought we were doing her a favor by allowing her to live with us, but I think we're the ones receiving the bigger favor."

"The aura of the house has changed since she came," Ukyo said, more quietly so only Masaomi heard. "More of our brothers make sure they're home for dinner these days, and perhaps it's my imagination, but it seems like there's been less stupid fights lately."

"I agree," Masaomi said, glancing at the tall wall that separated the men's onsen from the women's. "She's both a calming and a gathering influence in the house. Even Subaru has started to open up around her. It's good to finally see him talking to a girl. Maybe it will make him a little less shy at school as well."

Ukyo smiled at the way Masaomi had put it. "She is a gathering influence. I think she's as excited about getting the family together as any of us are. More than some of us are. It's as though she really is a part of the family and not just a family friend."

"It would be nice if she stayed with us through college if she decides to stay in Japan," Masaomi said thoughtfully. "I hope she's enjoying staying with us as much as we're enjoying have her stay."

~.~

"Do you mind if I join you?" Iori asked.

"Of course not," Ema said, sliding over on the bench to make room for Iori. She was sitting on a bench at the front of the onsen. It was positioned on a hill and the perfect spot for watching the stars come out.

"I wasn't sure if you wanted to be alone," Iori said, taking a seat.

"Oh, no, I just wanted to cool off after my bath. I wasn't trying to be unsocial." She glanced behind them at the building, concerned that one of the others thought she didn't want to be with them since she wasn't inside.

"Louis is still drying his hair," Iori told her. "Ukyo is arranging for dinner to be brought to our rooms, and Wataru still wanted to stay in the onsen, so Masaomi is with him."

"I see," Ema said, returning her gaze to the sky.

~.~

Iori had always considered Ema to be a peaceful person. Unless, perhaps, she was deep into a video game, but he remembered doing homework and playing with her before she left. He'd always felt calm around her. She still had the same aura around her. Sunrise Mansion somehow felt steadier with Ema in it. It was now a normal sight to see Ema cooking dinner with Ukyo, or cooking by herself when Ukyo was too busy with work. It was sometimes difficult to believe she'd only been living there for a few months. It felt like she'd been a part of their household for years.

"I love the night sky," Ema said. She spoke quietly, like she didn't want to break the peaceful atmosphere any more than Iori did. "I've been places where I could see the stars better, but nowhere is better than at home."

She smiled at Iori. "Well, I guess this isn't exactly home since we're at an onsen, but it's Japan, so close enough."

"You think of Sunrise Mansion as your home?" Iori asked. The words had seemed to come so easily off Ema's tongue.

She looked worried suddenly. "Yes…is that all right?"

"Of course, it's all right," Iori assured her. "I'm glad you feel comfortable saying it's your home. You will be there for a while, after all. And we're all happy to have you there."

"Maybe not all," Ema murmured under her breath. Iori wasn't sure he was supposed to have heard it.

"Fuuto's never truly happy unless he's complaining," Iori told her. "Whether it's about one of our brothers or something or someone else. Don't worry about it too much."

It had been a long time since Iori had taken the time to watch the stars come out at night. He was grateful for the opportunity to watch them with someone as peaceful with Ema. For a while, he'd been worried that stars were ruined for him. The last time he'd watched the stars had been with his ex-girlfriend. The thought of her still brought anger, hurt, and a twinge to his heart, but it was getting better.

He glanced at Ema. He had no interest in dating any girls from his school after what happened with Fuyuka. How could he trust any of them after what happened with her? But Ema wasn't like that. A woman who pretended to be true to the one she loved, but betrayed him at the first convenient opportunity.

Ema had proved how loyal she was during the seven years she'd lived abroad. She'd never once forgotten about the Asahina brothers. Her emails had been regular from beginning to end while she was gone, never wavering in telling the Asahina brothers where she was and what she was doing, and asking how they were, wanting to know what was going on in their lives. And now that she was back, she had shown time and again that she was more than happy to do whatever she could to be helpful around the house and to help the Asahina brothers.

Yes, with all the untrustworthy women in the world, the Asahinas were very lucky to have Ema in their lives.


	18. Past Relationships

**Chapter 18: Past Relationships**

"I love orchids!" Ema gasped when Iori brought her order of hot chocolate and she saw the cream in the shape of the flower.

Iori smiled. "I noticed you paying attention to them in the yard. I hoped it would make you happy."

"Do you always surprise the customers with something you'll think they'll like?" Ema asked, blowing on the drink before taking a sip. It was starting to get cold outside, so rather than waiting for Yusuke's soccer practice to end after school, she now occasionally stopped by Iori's work when he there. It was a nice way to warm up. And a good opportunity to speak with Iori, even if it was only for a few moments. At home, he was usually too busy with homework to spend much time talking. Ema had no idea how Iori got top grades at one of Japan's top high schools and still managed to have a part-time job on the side.

"Not usually," Iori admitted. "If people don't have a preference for what they want, the default is usually a rose. But you get so excited when it's something new that I enjoy surprising you every time."

Ema hid her smile behind her mug, a little embarrassed. "I look forward to your cream creations as much as I do the hot chocolate." And Iori's company, but it felt too awkward to say that.

"I'm flattered," Iori said, giving a half bow. Coming from most high school guys, the bow probably would have looked corny. Coming from Iori, the move was elegant and courtly. All Iori needed was the right costume and Ema would feel like she was a lady from Medieval Europe.

Iori rose from his bow and the playful look suddenly left his eyes, replaced by something frigid and cold before he covered it up.

Confused, Ema looked behind her to try to see what had caught Iori's attention. All she saw was a cute high school girl wearing a scarf and a timid expression as she looked around the shop. Her gaze stopped on Iori and she bit her lip.

"Excuse me, Ema," Iori said. "I have to get back to work."

Ema was surprised when Iori showed up at her table again a moment later without his work apron.

"Iori? Is something wrong?"

Iori shook his head, standing at an angle so he couldn't see the girl who seemed to have possibly been looking for him.

"I decided to take my break now. Is it all right if I join you?"

"Of course," Ema said, resisting the urge to look over her shoulder and see what the girl was doing. She couldn't say for certain that the girl was the cause of Iori's strange behavior, but something definitely seemed to have upset him. And he'd said he was going back to work, not that he planned to take his break. Iori had never taken a break from work while Ema had been there before.

"What drink do you have?" Ema asked, nodding at the drink in his hands. She didn't know what else to say, or how to bring up the fact that he was acting out of the ordinary.

"Hm?" Iori looked down, as though surprised to see the cup in his hands. "Oh, just something decaf. I like our coffee drinks, but it's too late for caffeine, and I'm not really in the mood for hot chocolate right now."

Iori went quiet and Ema tried to think through the sequence of events. A girl had walked into the shop, and then Iori suddenly became somber. The girl was most likely sitting in Iori's section, but rather than having to serve her, Iori chose to take his break instead so he could avoid her. Maybe that wasn't what had happened, but it seemed possible.

"Iori?" Ema said hesitantly. "Is everything all right? You've never taken a break while I've been here before."

Iori stared into his drink before finally saying, "You're really good at reading people. Did you know that? You pay attention to what makes people happy or sad, or when they're mood suddenly shifts. You're very sensitive to that kind of thing." He gave her a small smile. "You always celebrate everyone's success with them, or try to comfort them when they had a bad day."

He looked down at his drink again and sighed. "I guess I can tell you. From some of the things you've said, I think you've had similar experiences. The girl who just walked in is my ex-girlfriend."

His mouth tightened and for a moment, it looked as though he wouldn't continue. Ema was about to tell him he didn't have to tell her when he made himself relax, almost slouching in his seat. "We started dating in junior high and the two of us were really close with my best friend. The three of us were inseparable and Fuyuka, my girlfriend, and I already had plans to move in together after high school and attend the same college."

His gray eyes became wintry as he looked past Ema at a wall. Ema was glad that look wasn't directed at her. "But I guess I was just a fool about both of them. The boy who called himself my best friend was jealous of me, though I didn't know. He didn't like that I got better grades, that I was better at sports, and that more girls talked to me. He felt like if he could take just one thing away from me, if he could win at something over me, he would prove that he was better, that me being good at all those things didn't make me any better than him."

Ema's heart ached and she almost wanted to tell Iori to stop. Her situation of not having friends had broken her heart at times, but it was probably worse to have someone you thought was your friend, who you believed and trusted in, and only for them to betray you.

"He decided the one thing he would do was to get Fuyuka to cheat on me, to take her away." Iori's hands tightened around his cup until his fingers turned white.

Without thinking, Ema reached out and laid one of her hands on top of Iori's. She was afraid he would hurt himself holding so tightly. Or break the cup. Iori's gaze jerked up in surprise, but his eyes softened as he gave Ema an almost smile.

"My friend succeeded," he said quietly. "I don't know how long Fuyuka cheated on me, but my friend was thrilled to throw the evidence of it in my face. Fuyuka hadn't known about my friend's plan to prove he was better than me. She'd believed his lies that he'd been in love with her all this time and didn't know what to do anymore."

Iori shook his head, some of the darkness coming back into his eyes. "Fuyuka tried to play the victim, telling me she hadn't known anything about the plan and that we'd both been betrayed. She may not have known what our friends' plan was, but she made her own decisions. No one forced her to cheat on me. She did that herself. She comes here sometimes, trying to get me to forgive her. I won't talk to her at school. I think she hopes I'll have to talk to her here if she's a customer."

Now Ema was the one with the hard eyes. What happened to Fuyuka was sad and wrong, but, like Iori said, she was her own person capable of making her own decisions. She had been dating an amazing guy and had decided to cheat on him because another guy told her he liked her. If she'd truly cared for Iori, she would have ignored him when he started making advances. And if she hadn't truly cared for Iori, she should have broken up with him to go out with someone else.

Ema looked at her hand covering Iori's and decided she could tell him her story too. She'd never told anyone other than Arisa the whole story about Carlos, and no one knew the whole story with Erik. Maybe she would feel better if she talked about it.

"You're right that I had some bad things happen to," she said quietly. "Though, I think the first one was partially my fault." She gave Iori a sad smile. "I dated twice while I lived abroad. Carlos was the first one, and he lived in Italy. He was the first guy to like me, the first one to pay attention to me as a girl and tell me I was pretty." She shook her head at herself. "I thought he was sweet and I was so caught up in feeling special that a guy liked me for the first time that I wasn't paying enough attention to who he really was."

Her hand tightened over Iori's. She wished Carlos' cruel words didn't still have the power to hurt her. "After we'd been dating for a while, I found out he was going out with two other girls. He told me I wasn't interesting enough by myself to keep his attention, so he needed more than just me."

Iori frowned as he turned his hand over to hold Ema's, covering her hand with his free hand. "How is that your fault? You deserve to feel special. Your first thought about your boyfriend, even if it's your first boyfriend, shouldn't be that he's dating other girls too. And he was _wrong._ You are interesting, Ema."

Ema shrugged one shoulder. She had done a lot of interesting things, but that didn't mean she was an interesting person. And she wasn't convinced she hadn't been stupid. When she'd emailed Hikaru about Carlos, he'd warned her Carlos sounded like a major flirt and not to trust him. Ema had been so caught up in the sweet things Carlos did like bringing her flowers and complimenting her every time he saw her that she hadn't listened to Hikaru.

"The second relationship was harder," Ema said, staring at her and Iori's hands because it was easier than looking at Iori as she spoke. She didn't believe for a second that Iori would judge her for any of this, but she felt vulnerable talking about it. If she looked into Iori's eyes, she would feel even more vulnerable.

"Erik was from the United States and he made me feel worthwhile. I'd given up on forming new relationships at that point. It was just too hard when Dad and I would move in a few weeks or a few months. Erik was persistent and I came to really trust him. Even Dad liked him. He convinced me that we could make a long-distance relationship work, and even came to visit me a few times after we left the United States."

She sighed and shrugged, trying to give the impression that what she said next didn't really matter. "But in the end, it was too hard for him. I wasn't worth enough to him to keep up our relationship long-distance." He hadn't said those words, but that's wait their breakup had amounted to. Having a girlfriend who live abroad and constantly moved was just too difficult.

It had been so much worse with Erik than with Carlos. Carlos she'd only dated for two months. Erik she had dated for almost a year, and their relationship had been so much deeper. She and Carlos hadn't really had anything in common, but Ema and Erik could talk for hours without running out of things to say. He had really made Ema believe they could make their relationship work long distance.

"Those guys were fools," Iori said, squeezing Ema's hand between his own.

"And apparently they're not the only fools in the world," Ema said, returning Iori's squeeze. "On the first day I came back and you said something about it being hard to trust people, I thought if someone could choose to betray Iori of all people, what hope is there in relationships for the rest of us?"

"I don't know that I'd give up all hope just yet," Iori said. Ema was relieved that the dark look seemed to have left his eyes.

The bell of the shop tinkled and Ema looked back to see Fuyuka leaving. Ema wondered if she'd seen Iori and Ema holding hands and misunderstood. Part of her hoped she had and that Fuyuka would leave Iori alone now. Betraying him was bad enough, but trying to pressure him into dating her again was wrong. If she really cared about Iori, she would respect his space.

"I'd better get back to work," Iori said. "For real this time. Thank you for listening, Ema, and for sharing with me." He paused. "You know, I think the key might be to build trust before starting a relationship. You should know who a person really is before you start dating them. I think it's better to date someone you know you can trust rather than trying to build trust while also building a romantic relationship."

"You know, Iori, I think you might be right," Ema agreed. Partially because a philosophy like that still allowed her to not date for a long, long time.

~.~

"Was that your girlfriend?" One of Iori's coworkers asked after Ema left.

"Ema?" Iori asked. "No, she's a childhood friend. Both of us have chosen not to date right now."

"Really?" His coworker asked. "You two seemed close. And she's come to visit you by herself a couple times."

Iori shrugged, showing a small smile. "Well, you never know what might happen in the future."

Iori was glad he had decided to be honest with Ema, and happy she had chosen to be honest with him as well. He had been right when he thought Ema was different from other girls. And now he and Ema both knew that they understood how one another felt since they'd been through similar experiences.

It was good for him to have Ema in his life again, and he thought it was also good for Ema to have him in her life again. Maybe they could help make sure neither of them got hurt again like they had in the past.


	19. Voice Acting

**Firebolt:** You're review made me smile. Thank you!

And to those who have asked what the ending will be, my current plan is to have multiple endings like I did for Intricate Relations, though I've little idea of who I'll include at this point other than that I'd like to do endings for some of the brothers I didn't for that fic.

 **Chapter 19: Voice Acting**

Ema giggled along with the rest of the crowd as Tsubaki, acting in character, proposed to Azusa, as a girl in the crowd had requested.

For the first time, Ema was attending one of the twins' events promoting their latest anime. She hadn't even realized they did events like this, but had been excited when they invited her to come. It seemed silly that she'd followed their careers so closely, yet hadn't known about events like this.

In their own way, Tsubaki and Azusa were as good of performers as Fuuto, though this was a very different type of stage. The audience was enthralled as the twins and their coworkers talked about the anime and about upcoming projects. Ema felt like she'd misjudged the twins, thinking their main talent lied only with voice acting. She tended to think of voice actors as people who didn't do well when they had to deal with people in person, but this event proved she was dead wrong.

Of course, she should have known Tsubaki would be entertaining. He always had loved having an audience. The real surprise was the quiet Azusa, who seemed just as comfortable on stage as Tsubaki.

Tsubaki blew the crowd a kiss as the event came to an end. Girls screamed and some leapt to their feet, holding their hands out as though to catch the kiss. She wondered if the twins had as many devoted female fans as Fuuto did. Maybe they had even more. They had been voice actors for longer than Fuuto had been an idol, and they did a variety of projects. Someone who didn't like Fuuto's style of music wasn't going to change to suddenly like it, but someone who didn't like one anime Azusa or Tsubaki did might love another, or might enjoy the games they voiced. And here she'd thought Fuuto was the most famous member of the Asahina family.

She waited for the crowd to die down a little before going to the room Tsubaki had told her was his and Azusa's dressing room. She didn't want any of the fans to think she was sneaking around and breaking rules by going to see the stars of the show.

Reaching the door, she knocked tentatively, not wanting to interrupt them if they were still changing. Tsubaki threw the door open and pulled Ema inside.

"Well, what did you think?" He asked, shutting the door behind her. His eyes were bright and excited. Ema probably would have been exhausted after giving as much energy as Tsubaki had during the event for an hour and a half, but he looked ready for another round.

"Amazing!" Ema gushed. "It makes me sad I wasn't around for all your other events. That was so much fun. You're an amazing voice actor, but you're really fantastic at entertaining people in person as well."

"I do what I can," Tsubaki said with a falsely modest shrug. "But since you're around now, feel free to come to our events whenever you want." He squeezed Ema in a hug. "You're my favorite fan in the whole audience."

"I'm probably the only fan you know in the whole audience," Ema countered, trying to breathe through Tsubaki's hug.

Tsubaki pulled back with a pout. "Even if I knew everyone, you'd still be my favorite. You know that, don't you? You supported my dream of becoming a voice actor even when Ukyo didn't. You were my fan even before I became a voice actor."

Ema put her hands on her hips and shook her head in mock disappointment. "I'm on to you, Tsubaki, you're just hoping to get more compliments. You're a glutton for them, even knowing how good you are."

A knock came at the door and Ema jumped in surprise. She hadn't been expecting anyone else to come to the twins' room.

Azusa answered the door and let in a middle-aged gentleman with a goatee.

"Director Agota, what can we do for you?" Azusa asked.

"Nothing other than keep doing what you've been doing," the man, who was apparently the director of the anime, said. Ema had seen him near the front of the room, but hadn't realized he was involved with the anime. "I wanted to congratulate the two of you on how well today's event went thanks to you. Each event and project is always a success when we have the Asahina brothers on board."

He seemed to notice Ema for the first time and did a double take. "Oh? Is this a girlfriend of one of you?" He held his hand out for Ema to shake.

Ema smiled as she shook his hand. She would have expected someone like a director to feel too important to shake hands with a random girl in the dressing room of one of his voice actors, but he seemed genuinely pleased to meet Ema.

"No, this is our childhood friend, Ema," Tsubaki said proudly, clapping a hand on Ema's shoulder. "She's traveled all around the world."

"Really?" Director Agota asked, excited. "Did you learn any good accents? I love accents. One of the hardest things as a director sometimes is finding someone who can do a good accent consistently."

"Um, I guess I picked up a few," Ema said. "Though I don't know if I'm very good." Sometimes it had been hard _not_ to start picking up an accent when she was trying to learn a new language. She found herself mimicking the way the people around her spoke as she tried to learn unfamiliar words.

"Let's hear it then," the director said, gesturing for Ema to go ahead.

"I'm not sure Ema's comfortable with that," Azusa broke in tactfully. "It's a little difficult to be asked to do things spur of the moment, and in front of strangers no less."

Director Agota looked disappointed. "I guess Azusa is right. My apologies, young lady, I get so excited I lose sight of polite etiquette sometimes."

"No, it's okay, I can try," Ema said, despite feeling embarrassed. She was grateful Azusa had given her a way out after Director Agota accidently put her on the spot, but the director seemed so friendly and so disappointed that she wanted to try for him. And because he seemed to be an important person in Tsubaki's and Azusa's careers.

"Are you sure?" Agota asked, brightening again.

Ema smiled and nodded before demonstrating her French, Italian, American, and Canadian accent for the director. He clapped at the end, looking pleased as he told her how good she was.

She was blushing by the time he left. The only person she'd done accents for before were Hikaru and Arisa. It was embarrassing to do it in front of other people, even if it had been fun as well.

"That was great, Ema," Azusa said. "I had no idea you'd picked up any accents while you were gone."

"It was just a few words," Ema said, still blushing. "I'm not sure how well I'd do if I had to speak like that all the time, but thank you."

"I'm starving. Let's go to lunch," Tsubaki said, putting his arm around Ema's shoulder. "But Ema can demonstrate her mad accent skills for us as we drive."

~.~

"Crap. Tsubaki, we might have to change our plans," Azusa said. It was a week after Tsubaki and Azusa's event and the two of them plus Ema were going to a movie. "I just got a text from Director Agota that we need to come in right now for an emergency scene fix. This episode is supposed to air next week and they just noticed a mistake Kya made, but he's out of the country on vacation. We'll have to re-record our parts to cover up his mistake."

He twisted in the front seat of the car to look back at Ema. "I'm sorry, I don't know how long this will take. It shouldn't be too long, but we'll probably miss the start of the movie. Do you want to catch a bus from the studio and go without us?"

Ema shook her head. "I can wait for you guys. Maybe we can find another movie to go to today, or we can find something else to do if that won't work."

"Sorry," Azusa apologized again.

"You don't need to apologize," Ema told him. "Your work is important and we can go to a movie anytime."

"I can't believe this wasn't caught during recording," Tsubaki said, shaking his head. "It must have happened the day Director Agota was out for his son's birthday. There's no way he would have missed a mistake like that."

~.~

Ema sat on a chair outside the recording booth, waiting for the twins. She knew they felt bad, but she'd never been to a recording studio before and found it interesting.

Half an hour later, Tsubaki and Azusa came out of the recording booth. Director Agota came out of the adjacent room.

"Thank you for coming in last minute, boys," Director Agota said. "I'm sorry I had to call you in on a Saturday. I promise this won't happen again. Kya—Ah!"

Ema jumped at Agota's sudden exclamation, looking at him to see what had happened. She was surprised to find him pointing at her. "You!"

"Um, yes?" Ema said uncertainly, looking to Tsubaki and Azusa. Was it against the rules for them to bring her here? Neither of them had seemed concerned about it and they both looked as surprised at Agota's outburst as she was.

"You, here, it's kismet! Can you sing?"

Ema opened her mouth, but no answer came out, so she shut it. Why on Earth would an anime director be asking her if she could sing? He continued to stare at Ema expectantly, so she said, "I'm okay, I guess. It's not like I'm at Tsubaki's and Azusa's level if that's what you're asking."

"Let's hear it," Agota said, crossing his arms.

Ema gave Tsubaki and Azusa a confused and panicked look.

"Director Agota?" Azusa said tentatively. "Maybe you could explain to us why you want Ema to sing for you?"

Agota looked surprised at the question before comprehension dawned on his face. "Of course, of course. You're right, Asahina. This situation requires context to be understood! You know how I easily get ahead of myself." He waved a hand carelessly in the air as though waving away his mistake.

"You two don't know a lot about the new anime you're about to start recording for. We don't even have everyone cast yet, but we plan to have a special opening song for one of the episodes where an important new character will be introduced. I want the song done with a particular accent, but I haven't been able to find anyone who can do it for me. I was just thinking of your young friend last night. I would like for her to sing the song for me and see if she can do it. I'm looking for an accent somewhere between French, Italian, and Japanese. Do you think you can do that?"

Ema gave the director a blank look, wondering what on Earth on accent like that sounded like and how Agota had come up with that particular combination.

"You don't have to if you don't want to," Azusa told Ema quietly.

"But it could be fun," Tsubaki said, looking excited at the idea. "How cool would it be if Ema sung the opening song for an anime episode we're in? And Director Agota is one of the best anime directors out there, Ema. He'll coach you with what he wants. Why not give it a try?"

Ema wanted to say because it was an insane idea. She wasn't a professional singer or voice actor, but Tsubaki looked so excited and Agota so hopeful.

"Okay," she said. "But I'm not promising anything. You might not like my voice and I might not be able to do the accent you want."

"Yeah!" Tsubaki said, pumping his fist in the air.

"I'm not looking for any promises," Agota assured Ema. "I'm just looking for you to try."

~.~

They didn't end up going to a movie that night. Director Agota worked with Ema for three hours to get the accent right and to sing the song properly.

Sitting in a booth for hours while being given specific direction and instructions was a lot more fun than Ema would have expected. She appreciated that Agota knew what he wanted and was skilled in describing it to Ema. She figured that was probably why he was one of the best anime directors. He knew what he wanted and knew the best way to help people give it to him.

After she finished recording the song, Tsubaki and Azusa took Ema out to dinner. Ema was happy that something she'd learned on her travels, the accents, would be helpful for the twins at work. She hoped they liked the song when they heard it.


	20. The Princess

**Chapter 20: The Princess**

Ema answered the knock at her door to find Tsubaki looking awkward on the other side.

"Tsubaki? Is something wrong?"

"Well, I don't think I would say wrong…Director Agota called and…"

"Did he decide he didn't like the song I did?" Ema asked when Tsubaki paused. "I won't be offended if he decides not to use it. It's not like I'm a professional, after all."

"Um, no, that's not quite it. He sounded really upset and frazzled and immediately asked if he could setup a meeting with you. I told him he had to tell me what he wanted first since it was a weird request. And, well…"

"Is something wrong?" Azusa asked, coming out of his room. Since his was right next to Ema's, he'd probably heard them talking. "Did I hear you mention Director Agota, Tsubaki? Did something happen with the song Ema recorded?"

"Nope," Tsubaki shook his head. "That's not it at all. From the director's current request, I'd say he was absolutely impressed with Ema's work."

"His current request?" Azusa echoed. "What current request? Does he want Ema to do another song for the anime?"

Tsubaki shook his head. "The song Ema recorded is for the episode when a princess from another dimension enters the show. Azusa and I play the princesses' destined guards from the dimension where most of the rest of the show takes place. That's why Director Agota wanted a specific accent. He wanted it to be something no one had ever heard before since the character is from another dimension."

He paused again. Ema was getting a little tired of the dramatics. "Tsubaki, as interesting as all that is, why don't you just tell us why Director Agota wants to meet with me?"

"All right," Tsubaki agreed with a shrug. "The voice actor for the princess dropped out last minute and since production begins tomorrow, Agota wants Ema to voice the princess."

Ema's jaw dropped and Azusa looked taken aback.

"Hear me out," Tsubaki said, taking Ema's hands. "Or, at least, hear out Agota's reasoning. I told him you were still in high school, but he said he'd work around your school schedule and be as flexible as you needed. Agota has been a director for a long time and he can tell pretty quickly how well he'll be able to work with an actor. He said you were really receptive to the cues he gave you and were able to pick up on what he wanted. Plus, you know he finds it hard to find actors who can do accents the way he wants them, and you already know what accent he wants."

Ema gaped at Tsubaki, stunned. How could Agota want an untrained voice actor for an anime that was good enough to have Tsubaki and Azusa in it? It seemed like a gamble. Another thought that ran through her head was that voice acting while seventeen was _not_ living a normal high school life.

"Just meet with him, Ema, and see what he has to say," Tsubaki urged, squeezing Ema's hands. "Azusa and I would be right there to help you. Most of the scenes you'd voice would have one or both of us in it. We could help coach you."

"Tsubaki, maybe Ema doesn't want to be a voice actor," Azusa said, laying a hand on his twin's shoulder. "You shouldn't pressure her into doing something she's not interested in."

"But you enjoyed doing the song, didn't you, Ema? You've talked about how much fun it was."

"Well, yes, it was, but doing a song isn't the same as voicing a whole character. What if I ruined the anime? Wouldn't it be worse for Agota to hire someone who can't do the job and have to redo scenes than for him to delay production and find someone who can do the voice acting properly?"

Tsubaki turned an excited look on Azusa. "See? She's not saying she doesn't want to do it, she's just afraid she's not good enough."

"Because I'm not!" Ema burst out. "You two went to school for this. Tsubaki, you practiced your whole life at doing voices ever since you realized you wanted to be a voice actor. If anyone could be a voice actor, you wouldn't have to go to school for it."

"Agreeing to meet with Agota isn't agreeing to take the role," Tsubaki argued. "He would have you read for the character to see if you could keep up the accent consistently, and he'd have you read with Tsubaki and I to see if we had the proper chemistry for the roles."

Somehow, ridiculously, foolishly, Ema was considering the idea. She _had_ enjoyed recording the song, and she did love hearing Tsubaki and Azusa talk about work. It sounded really interesting. Fun and challenging were Ema's type of adventure, and though this situation was very different from the adventures she'd done with her father, it was still an adventure.

She bit her lip and looked from Tsubaki's hopeful and excited face to Azusa's concerned one.

"I guess…I could read for the part. But don't be disappointed if I don't get it!" She ordered, but Tsubaki seemed to ignore her as he threw his arms around her in a hug.

"It'll be great!" He said. "Even if it doesn't work out, I still think it will be fun to read through the part with you. I didn't ever think anything like this would ever happen."

~.~

Ema was more nervous than she expected on the drive to the recording studio. Tsubaki gave her a constant steam of advice on the drive down with Azusa occasionally adding his own words of advice.

Director Agota sat them down and explained to Ema who the character was, adding more detail than Tsubaki had given her. He explained how Princess Neena was a princess from another realm, but the only one with the power to help the main dimension of the series, which was being overcome by a spreading darkness. There was a prophecy that she would come to save them, which was why two guards were prepared from birth to serve her. She made the choice to leave her people behind to help this dimension and would eventually join the group of the main hero of the series, but despite her two guards, she was very lonely being in a completely foreign land.

Ema could relate to the princess' feelings. She had been doing good things while traveling, like being with her father and learning about life, but it had been so hard and lonely, no matter how hard she tried to be cheerful.

After Director Agota explained a bit more about the character, it was time for them to read. Ema's heart was in her throat, but she tried to follow Tsubaki's advice of using your own experience to help bring life into characters.

"We know this must be hard for you," Azusa read, his voice solemn. "Coming to another world and leaving your people behind when you feel responsible for them."

"But we're so grateful you came," Tsubaki jumped in, voice earnest. "We have been prepared from birth to serve you in whatever way you need. It was prophesied that you would come to save us, and we will serve you in whatever way you need so long as you are in our realm, no matter how long you remain for."

On one hand, Tsubaki and Azusa sounded so amazing that it felt intimidating to respond. On the other hand, having them be so serious helped her to work out how her character might speak. She thought of how she felt when she and her father originally left Japan. About how good Ema knew it would be for her father's career, but how terrifying it was for her. She also had to keep in mind the proper accent. It was difficult to keep all those things in mind at once.

"I'm grateful," Ema said, concentrating on the gratitude she felt for the Asahina family as she said it to put emotion in her voice, "for your aid. I thought I would be all alone in this world when I came to help stop the darkness, but I…even with you, I am still alone. I will give my best for this world since there is none other who can, but my heart is still with my realm."

"Princess!" Tsubaki exclaimed.

Agota stopped them to give Ema direction before having them read the scene again. They did three more scenes, with Agota correcting Ema when he saw the need. Ema had no idea if the corrections meant he was purely unhappy with her work, or that he saw potential, so felt she was worth bothering to correct.

At the end, she assumed it was the latter that was the case, because Agota offered her the role.

"Are you sure?" Ema asked timidly. "This anime will be full of professionals like Tsubaki and Azusa. I would hate to drag down the quality of it."

"You have the exact accent I want," Agota assured her. "And you were able to keep it most of the time. The emotion in your voice was real as well, which is even more important. I think with practice and my direction, you will do great." He laid a hand on Ema's shoulder. "Yes, you are an amateur, but if you're willing to work with me and the Asahina brothers, I think you will absolutely be the right person to voice this part. Are you willing to put in the work, Hinata?"

His eyes were piercing as he stared at her. Somehow, during the nearly two hours they'd been reading, Ema had come to love Princess Neena. She wanted to be the one to voice Neena, and to do the character justice. "Y-yes," Ema said, then felt that sounded too weak. She straightened her shoulders. "Yes, I do, Director Agota."

He smiled. "Excellent."

~.~

Juli wanted to bang his head against a wall. How could Chi think this was a good idea?

"What about school?" Juli said. "What about being a normal teenager? Working right now, especially in something like this, could affect that. You might have to miss school. You might become famous, and there goes your normal life."

"Director Agota promised me they would be flexible with my school schedule. He knows that grades are important. And I highly doubt that voicing one character will make me famous. No one will even know my face. And even if people from my school watch the anime and like it, they won't think that a high school student is a voice actor. They'll probably think it's some other Ema Hinata."

"But—But, Chi…" Juli said, desperately trying to think of some other argument other than the real one, that the twins would now have Ema in their clutches. They would be spending hours every week with just the three of them, and probably sometimes just two of them, in a small box together recording lines. And those sneaky twins would probably offer to help Ema at home as well and get her alone in one of their rooms. Just the thought made him want to pull his fur out.

Where was he when Tsubaki came to get Ema for the audition? He should have been there. He should have jumped at the stupid voice actor's face the moment he started talking and clawed his eyes out. These Asahina brothers were far sneakier than even Juli had thought. And it was _two_ of them at once. And they would be _away_ from home and his and Louis' protection! But it seemed it was too late now that Ema had gotten the part. He would just have to make sure that neither twin was alone with Ema at home.

Unable to help himself, Juli had to get the last word in. "I hope this at least means you'll stop spending time gaming with the other brothers since you'll have less time for school work now." It would be nice if something good came of this mess.

~.~

A few days after Ema got the part, she saw Azusa standing by himself on the balcony after dinner. Hoping she wasn't disturbing him, she went out. She had been looking for an opportunity to speak with him since she got the part.

"Hey, Azusa. Mind if I join you?"

Azusa looked away from the city lights in surprise. "No, not at all. It's a little cold for stargazing tonight, though."

"It is," Ema agreed with a shiver, wishing she'd thought to grab a jacket before coming out.

"Are you okay?" Azusa asked, reaching for the top button of his sweater. "I can give you my jacket."

"No, I'm fine," Ema told him, wrapping her arms around herself. "I'm the one who decided to come out here. You don't need to give up your jacket because I was too silly to grab something warm. I just wanted to make sure you were okay with me being part of the same anime project. You were a lot quieter than Tsubaki about it. If you have any problems with me doing it, I'll step down. I know I'm not a professional, and I don't want to cause you any worry over this project. Although, I will do my best if I do it."

"I don't have a problem with it at all," Azusa said, shaking his head. "I'm sorry if I gave that impression. I'm less enthusiastic than Tsubaki about most things. Actually, the majority of the population is less enthusiastic than Tsubaki about most things. I was only worried about you getting pushed into something you didn't want to do. I hope you didn't accept the role because of pressure you felt from Tsubaki or Director Agota."

"No, I didn't. I may have felt pressured to do the song because of them, but this is too big a project to commit to just because other people want me to do it. It will take nearly half the school year."

"That's good to hear," Azusa said, facing the city again. "I'm glad you accepted the role because you wanted to." He smiled a little bitterly. "It doesn't say much about a person if they make a big decision only because someone else wants them to."

"Azusa?" Ema said hesitantly. She'd never seen an expression like that on Azusa's face. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he waved off. "I'm being ridiculous. Just ignore what I said."

"Are you sure?" Ema asked, leaning against the railing so she could better look into Azusa's face. "If it's bothering you, I don't think it's ridiculous."

"It's nothing. It's just, seeing you audition for the role reminded me of when I became a voice actor."

"Didn't you become one when Tsubaki did?" Ema asked. "I remembered I was surprised to hear you were both going to a college for voice acting. I hadn't known you'd wanted to be a voice actor too. Tsubaki talked about it for as long as I've known him, but I never heard you talk about what you wanted to do after school."

"That's because I never said anything about what I wanted to do after school," Azusa said, turning to face Ema. "I didn't have anything in mind, so Tsubaki suggested I follow him. Tsubaki was so passionate about voice acting that I let his passion carry me along, but it wasn't something I'd ever dreamed of doing." He shrugged. "But it's not like it matters since there wasn't anything else I wanted to do either."

He looked as though he was going to back inside when Ema's next question stopped him.

"Do you regret becoming a voice actor?" Azusa paused. "You sound like you enjoy it when you and Tsubaki talk about it. And you were amazing at the live event. I was a little surprised. Tsubaki loves to be the center of attention and is a natural entertainer. You're on the quiet side, but you were just as engaging on the stage. It was fun to see."

Azusa looked surprised and Ema wondered if he was blushing, but it was difficult to tell in the dark. It was probably just her imagination.

"Thank you. I appreciate you saying that. I'm glad you felt like I did a good job up there. It's not something that comes naturally to me like it does Tsubaki. Though it's not like I don't enjoy the live events, or the voice acting. I've never not liked it. I guess…I worry that I don't do parts justice in the same way Tsubaki does since I don't have the same passion."

"But your voice is amazing," Ema said, unconsciously taking a step toward Azusa in her excitement. "You've played so many roles that have meant so much to people. The only reason the characters resonate with people is because of how you played them, Azusa. Without your work and the voice you gave them, no one would have been passionate about those characters."

She clasped her hands and looked down, suddenly embarrassed. "I told you I bought most of yours and Tsubaki's work while I was gone. I didn't like all of the genres you did, but I still bought them because you two were involved. Even when I didn't necessarily like the story, I was still impressed by your voice and the job you did. I was really amazed at your work as the drug addict."

Peeking up at Azusa, she said, "Voice acting might not have been your passion to begin with, but it sounds to me like you give it your all. I can tell from your conversations with Tsubaki that you try hard with each job to learn more and improve. I don't think you would put forth so much effort if some part of you hadn't come to enjoy being a voice actor."

Azusa looked stunned. "You know, sometimes it's really hard to remember you're only seventeen." He shook his head. "I guess traveling around the world really does give you wisdom."

Ema grinned, happy she seemed to have said something that resonated with Azusa. "I don't know about that. I just have a bad tendency to meddle in my friends' lives since I want them all to be happy."

"I think we'll have to disagree on that," Azusa said, putting an arm around Ema's shoulders and pulling her close to warm her up. "Come on, it's too cold to stay outside in the dark. I'll make us some hot chocolate to warm us up."


	21. Jealousy

**Chapter 21: Jealousy**

"What?" Subaru asked defensively when he saw Tsubaki smirking at him from the couch. He'd been telling Ema about his latest basketball game while she made dinner and had just come over to watch TV. Was Tsubaki going to harass him for actually talking to a girl? Subaru had been expecting either Kaname or Tsubaki to make fun of him for weeks for finally befriending a girl.

"Did you know you only ever talk to Ema about basketball? There are other topics out there, you know. Maybe you should try a little variety."

Subaru felt his face heat up. "Well, you only talk to her about anime. How is that any different?"

Tsubaki shook his head at Subaru, spreading his arms along the top of the couch. "My dear little brother, how naïve you are. Ema and I talk about all kinds of things. Especially when she, Azusa, and I go out to dinner together after work. I know the names of all her school friends and what she likes best and hates most about school. I doubt you know any of those things. Besides, anime is something we have in common. Not only are we working together on an anime, but we both love it and have for years. You and her have nothing in common."

"Yes, we do," Subaru automatically shot back. "She might not play basketball, but she likes it. She's come to two of my games and she enjoys talking about it with me. Half the time, she's the one who brings it up. She always asks about my practices and stuff."

"Mmhm," Tsubaki hummed, sounding unconvinced. "How do you know she isn't just being nice? She's that kind of a person, you know."

"What do you know?" Subaru groused, tired of the conversation. Of course he and Ema were friends. And had stuff in common. They played video games together sometimes, didn't they? That was different from basketball.

Subaru stomped back over to the kitchen. He would prove to Tsubaki that he and Ema had other things in common.

"Hey, Ema?"

"Yes?" Ema said, looking up from pouring vegetables into rice.

"Do you want to go hiking sometime?" Subaru was pleased when Ema's face lit up.

"I would love to! I'm pretty good, but I don't know if I'll be able to keep up with you. Your basketball training is pretty intense."

"That's fine," Subaru assured her. "I think it would be fun to go hiking. I don't really ever go. We don't have to try to be fast or anything."

"Okay," Ema said. "Of course, there's always the chance that I might surprise you. I do some pretty tough hikes."

Subaru turned and after taking a few steps, replayed the conversation they'd just had in his head and realized it kind of sounded like he'd asked Ema on a date. He froze, his heart suddenly jumping. Had he just asked Ema on a date? And had she just said yes?

~.~

Ukyo tried not to glare at his phone as he stared at a text he was becoming all too familiar with.

"Work will run late tonight, so I won't be able to help with dinner. Sorry! Don't wait for the three of us. We'll eat whatever is left over when we get home."

It wasn't that he begrudged Ema getting a job. He was just concerned. And he missed her. He had always enjoyed cooking, but since Ema started helping him, making dinner became something he greatly looked forward to. It was a quiet time where just the two of them were able to talk for a while. It was the most peace he'd ever found in this hectic house living with so many brothers.

And it wasn't as though he didn't have a right to be concerned. This was a time of life when young adults should be focusing on school, not splitting their time between school and a job. Ema had college to think about. Plus, it wasn't as though voice acting was a dream of hers. It would be different if that was her goal, but this was just a whim that Tsubaki had sprung on her.

And there was another concern right there. What if Ema became unduly influenced by Tsubaki and did become a voice actor? It wasn't a serious profession, and Ukyo had never approved of it. It certainly wouldn't be good for Ema to get overly involved in it.

"Is Ema home yet?" Yusuke asked, walking into the living room and looking around.

Ukyo felt his eyebrow twitch. "You were with her at the end of school when she left for work, weren't you? You should know where she is." That was another irritant. The fact that all his brothers felt the need to ask him where Ema was, as though any of them didn't know. It was a reminder that Ema wasn't where she should have been, with him making dinner. Not that he resented her not helping him, he just…missed her.

"Well, yeah, but I thought she would have been home by now," Yusuke said. "She makes it home for dinner at least half the time."

"Well, she won't today," he said, striving to keep his tone even. _So deal with it,_ he mentally added.

Subaru came along a few minutes later. "Hey, where's Ema?"

Ukyo paused to stare balefully at his younger brother. "Where do you think she is, Subaru? She's at work, of course. She wouldn't miss helping with dinner otherwise."

"You don't have to get mad about it," Subaru said. "I was just asking."

As he walked away, Ukyo heard him muttering about Ema spending all her time with the twins these days.

Subaru was right, but it couldn't be helped. They worked together, after all. There was no meaning behind it other than that. Well, they were friends, of course, but there wasn't any _special_ meaning to it. Outside of work, she still spent time with the rest of the family. It wasn't as though she devoted her free time to the twins. She hadn't _decided_ to be with the twins instead of Ukyo that night. It was only work.

He shook his head, telling himself to stop being ridiculous and get back to cooking. It was silly for him to feel jealous and he needed to finish dinner.

He had almost finished when a third brother walked in and looked around.

"No Ema again, huh?" Fuuto asked, almost rhetorically. "Why the heck did I bother coming home if she's not even here?"

Fed up, Ukyo slammed his knife onto the cutting board. "I thought you didn't like Ema, Fuuto. You have made it abundantly clear that you don't appreciate her presence in our home and don't support us offering our aid to her to allow her to attend high school. Why do you care whether she's here or not? Unless you're merely hoping for a target to vent your frustration on. The way you treat her, regardless of how you may feel about her, is not acceptable, especially not to someone who is a guest in our home."

Fuuto gave Ukyo an unimpressed look. "What's it matter to you how I feel? And this is my home too, so I'll do what I want."

Ukyo gritted his teeth, wishing Ema's stupid anime would finish quickly.

~.~

"Ukyo? Is everything all right?" Ema asked later that night after finishing the dishes she and the twins had made. They'd arrived home just after everyone else had finished eating dinner. Ukyo knew this wasn't the case, but he almost felt like the twins had planned things that way so they could have Ema to themselves for just a bit longer. Ukyo was now sitting on the couch reading a law journal his company subscribed to.

"Yes, everything's fine," he lied. "Why do you ask?"

"You seem a little stressed," she said, clasping her hands by her chest. It was an adorable habit she often did when she was concerned about someone. "Did something happen at work? A tough case, maybe?"

He smiled and relaxed a little, grateful for Ema's concern. He didn't need any more proof than this that Ema not being home for dinner wasn't a desire to be with the twins over him. "Perhaps there is a little stress at work. I usually work it out cooking and speaking with you, but…" He trailed off as he realized it was true. Being a lawyer was stressful, but cooking with Ema allowed him to relax and unwind. It allowed him to just be home and be in the moment rather than worry about work.

"I'm sorry," Ema said sincerely and Ukyo immediately felt guilty for the remorse in Ema's eyes. Now she would blame herself for Ukyo being stressed. On the other hand, if it gave Ema a little more incentive to come home for dinner rather than going out with the twins, then he couldn't completely regret saying his feelings out loud.

"Why don't we make a dessert together tonight?" Ema asked, reaching for Ukyo's hand. "I've been craving strawberry cheesecake lately. Would that be okay?" She paused with her hand just above his, her eyes uncertain as she looked at the journal he was reading. Knowing her, she was undoubtedly concerned she was bothering him when he was busy.

Ukyo smiled and took her hand, his heart jumping when her soft skin touched his. "That sounds perfect."


	22. Overnight Hike

AmyFanfiction207: Assuming the translator translated your review correctly, thank you! I'm glad you're enjoying the story J

 **Chapter 22: Overnight Hike**

"Here's your coffee, Asahina-san," the secretary, Hinata, said. She put the coffee on his desk carefully, making sure she bent at just the right angle so Ukyo could see down her too low shirt if he looked. He didn't.

"Thank you, Hinata-san," he said, barely taking his eyes off his computer to give her a grateful smile, then he went back to the case he was working on. He wondered if it was just his imagination, or if the clomp of Hinata's stiletto heels on the floor was louder than usual. He wouldn't be surprised if she was walking off in a huff since Ukyo hadn't obliged her.

It was becoming well-known around the office that Hinata was looking to seduce one of the lawyers working for the firm in the hopes of catching a rich husband. Ukyo was not her only target, not by far. He only hoped she wouldn't find out about the money the Asahina family had on top of his generous salary as a lawyer.

From day one the woman had worn short skirts and low-cut shirts, which certainly hadn't been what she'd worn to her interview. To be fair, she was a beautiful woman. She had clear skin, long hair, and large curves in all the places most men hoped for. She was well aware of her beauty and her assets and knew how to use them ruthlessly.

As difficult as it was to admit, not that long ago Ukyo would have easily been pulled in by Hinata. Not to marry her, perhaps, but he certainly would have been tempted by her looks and her fragrant attempts to seduce anyone. It took will power to refuse a woman like that. Will power that Ukyo only had thanks to the newest addition to the Asahina home.

It was a little odd to think about. Hinata was Ukyo's normal type. Women who wore sexiness like a cloak around them that followed their every move were the kind he had pursued in the past.

That was probably the opposite of who Ema was. She was innocent, and would never think of using anything she had to manipulate another person. Maybe that was what was so refreshing about her, that she was so different from the other women he'd let into his life.

He'd learned the hard way that dating women who matched his normal type was a mistake. But Ema…the two of them enjoyed such peaceful times together. They shared a love of cooking and learning. They never ran out of things to talk about as they cooked together, whether it was Ema's experiences abroad, or a case Ukyo was working on.

His tastes seemed to have done a one-eighty. At least, so far as Ema was concerned they had. Maybe she was the only exception. Regardless, she was the only woman on his mind now. It was an attraction strong enough for him to block out Hinata's most bold attempts at luring him in.

Now if Ema were to wear something like Hinata did…A picture of her in secretary clothes with a tight skirt and a blouse unbuttoned just a little too low popped into his head. He felt his temperature increase at least five degrees as the back of his neck warmed.

He shook his head and made himself type a few more sentences regarding his briefing. There was no point in thinking such things right now.

There was a twelve year difference between he and Ema and while that wasn't an insurmountable problem, it was a problem while she was still in high school. She was too young right now and he would just have to wait until she graduated to tell her his feelings for her.

In the meantime, he needed to convince her to choose a college in Japan to attend.

He sighed, remembering that he wouldn't get to see her that night. Louis had taken her away for another one of their silly trips, and Ukyo was unable to attend this time.

~.~

"Thanks for inviting me," Subaru said as they carried their bags inside the inn.

"Of course, I'm glad you could come!" Ema said. "You too, Yusuke. I'm glad you didn't have soccer practice or make-up courses this time."

"Yeah, lucky for me that it's predicted to rain back home tomorrow and Sunday. That combined with the fact that we won our last game made Sasakura decide we could have the weekend off."

"Yeah, real great that he could make it," Juli huffed in Ema's ear. He was riding on Ema's shoulder and less than pleased that Subaru and Yusuke were joining them. However, he promised he would behave himself. The fact that Ema had refused to take him on the last trip because she was afraid of what he might do gave him good incentive to promise to be on his best behavior this trip.

"Why don't we have dinner first thing?" Louis asked. "It's a little early, but this place is famous for its hotpot and it might be nice to eat before there's a crowd."

"I'm fine with eating after we put our bags in our rooms," Ema said. "It's a little chilly out, so a hot pot sounds like the perfect thing."

~.~

"Man, this is good!" Yusuke said for the fifth time. "I don't know that I've ever had hotpot this good before. We should try some of this at home, right, Ema? Ema?" Yusuke looked around confused, then turned to Louis.

"Where did Ema and Subaru go?"

Louis smiled. "They left five minutes ago to go hiking. You were too involved in your food to notice. They talked about it before dinner."

Beside Louis, Juli hissed, his fur puffing out. Louis pet him, trying to calm the squirrel down. He knew Juli was upset about being left behind, but Ema had confessed to Louis her hope of maybe being able to bring Subaru and Natsume together at some point through hiking. She couldn't do that if she didn't establish a good relationship with Subaru first. If hiking together was a normal part of their relationship, it would be easier for Ema to bring up the idea of them going with Natsume.

Ema had been concerned that Louis would feel left out being given the task of watching Juli, but he'd assured her that hiking for exercise like she and Subaru planned to do wasn't his thing. If he hiked, it was to take his time and enjoy the sights. Unfortunately, while this made Ema happy, it made Juli unhappy. Juli felt like Louis wasn't doing his duty as a member of the 'Protect Chi' organization. He would just have to explain it to Juli later.

"Well, yeah, but I thought they weren't going until later," Yusuke said, slamming his fork on the table and standing.

"It's not like they sneaked away," Louis said, blinking up at his younger brother. "They said they were going and I heard Ema invite you to join them."

"Yeah, but—" Yusuke looked down at his bowl and blushed. "I was distracted. You shouldn't ask a man important things while he's eating a good meal."

"Is that so?" Louis asked. "I don't think I've ever heard that before."

"It's just what you deserve, you stupid punk," Juli chittered at Yusuke. "You spend too much time with Chi as it is. There's no need for you to run off and spend even more time with her."

Louis gave Juli a disapproving look, causing Juli's ears to droop. While Louis felt Juli had possible reason to be concerned about Ema living in the Asahina household, he didn't appreciate him talking badly about his brothers. Or rejoicing when they missed out on an opportunity they wanted.

"Why don't you and I play a card game until they get back?" Louis suggested.

"I wanted to see if I could catch up with them," Yusuke said, his eyes going to the door leading outside.

"I heard there's multiple trails in the mountains behind the inn. Do you know which one they planned to take?"

Yusuke deflated and sat back down. "No," he said dejectedly.

Louis didn't miss Juli sticking out his tongue triumphantly at Yusuke.

~.~

"You're kind of quiet today, Subaru," Ema said as they walked. "Is everything okay?"

Subaru felt a flush crawl up his face. It was all stupid Tsubaki's fault. Since he'd told Subaru he only talked about basketball with Ema, Subaru figured now would be a good time to talk about something else with her. Except, he couldn't think of anything to say.

Realizing it had been too long since Ema had spoken and she was giving him a concerned look, he blurted out, "I'm impressed with how well you're doing. I know you go hiking a lot, but you seemed worried about keeping up with me. From what I can tell, you're doing just fine."

Ema smiled brightly and Subaru felt relieved. He'd said the right thing. See? He could talk about something other than basketball. He'd talked about hiking and complimented Ema at the same time.

"Thank you! I'm glad I'm not slowing you down too much."

"Not at all," Subaru said, shaking his head. Admittedly, if he'd been hiking for training he probably would have been running, but for just hiking he was genuinely impressed with Ema. He would never have guessed that she was so fit. He wondered if she would enjoy playing basketball with him sometime…

"I love the fresh air," Ema said, tilting her head back and taking a deep breath. "I wouldn't want to live too far from a city." She flashed him a grin. "I did enough of living in log cabins and out of the way places with my dad, but I do enjoy getting out here regularly."

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Subaru agreed. "People talk about nature calling you and when you spend too much time in the city, it really does."

The conversation went flat after that and Subaru felt himself panicking. At least he knew this wasn't a date now, or Ema wouldn't have invited Yusuke to come with him. But if he couldn't carry on a conversation, why would Ema want to go on a date with him?

He stopped walking.

"Subaru?" Ema turned back to look at him, pausing on the trail. "Is something wrong? Do you know feel good, is that why you've been so quiet?"

Mutely, Subaru shook his head. "Um, no, I just—it's just—" He just barely realized he _wanted_ to be on a date with Ema and he had no idea how to deal with that realization. How were you supposed to act around the girl you liked? What were you supposed to talk about? How were you supposed to get her to like you back?

"When is your next game?" Ema asked.

Stupidly relieved, Subaru started talking about how the team was doing. On the one hand, this was easy to talk about. On the other hand, what girl wanted to date a guy who could only talk about one thing?

"That's wonderful that your team is doing so well!" Ema exclaimed. "I saw that you team was featured in a magazine about college basketball. That's really exciting. Our high school soccer team is doing well. I don't know if you like soccer, but Yusuke's one of the star players. You should come watch him sometime."

"Yeah?" Subaru said. "I knew he was having more fun on the team than he thought he would, but I didn't know he was playing well."

Subaru felt proud of his little brother before another thought occurred to him. Yusuke and Ema spent a lot of time together, and Ema went to a lot more of Yusuke's soccer games than she did Subaru's basketball games…Did she like soccer better than basketball? He mentally smacked himself at the thought. That wasn't the concern here. The concern was, did she like Yusuke? She might only go to more of Yusuke's games because Yusuke's school was also her school. If that was the case, maybe if Ema went to Subaru's college, she would go to all his games.

"Hey, what college are you planning on going to?" He asked. "Have you thought about it yet?"

"Not as much as I should have," Ema admitted, looking both wistful and anxious. "I know that as a junior I should be putting more thought into it, but right now I'm just enjoying having a steady home life for the first time in years."

"Well, let me know if you ever want to talk about it," Subaru offered. "It wasn't that long ago that I was deciding which college to go to. I know it can be a hard decision."

"Thank you," Ema said, flashing Subaru one of her easy smiles. Subaru was coming to really like those smiles.

"Should we turn back now?" Ema asked, looking up at the sky. "It's starting to get dark and we wouldn't want to get caught on an unfamiliar trail in the dark."

"Yeah," Subaru agreed reluctantly. "Maybe we can come back out tomorrow morning."

"And then Yusuke and Louis can join us!" Ema said.

"Right," Subaru said, far less enthusiastically.


	23. Movies and Stars

**Chapter 23: Movies and Stars**

"You don't have to stay at the inn with me," Yusuke said, his voice a few octaves lower than usual thanks to congestion. "I'm the idiot who stood outside in the cold without a jacket last night and caught a cold."

"It's all right, I don't mind," Ema assured Yusuke. There was a famous salon in the area that Louis checking out and a high quality athletic shoe store that Subaru was visiting. Ema had sent Juli with Louis because she was afraid he would disturb Yusuke. "What if you needed something and no one was here to get it for you? Although…what were you doing standing around outside last night? Were you afraid Subaru and I had gotten lost?"

"Yeah, something like that," Yusuke said, staring at the carpet rather than Ema. They were in the boys' room and had a few movies Louis had picked up for them laid out on the floor. "So, which movie do you prefer? I don't really care, and you're the one who's stuck inside rather than hiking like you were supposed to be."

Ema was about to answer when the door opened. She and Yusuke both look over, surprised. Louis and Subaru had left less than ten minutes ago.

"What are you doing here?!" Ema exclaimed upon seeing Fuuto. "And how did you get in?"

"With a key, obviously," Fuuto said, waving the key in the air. "I'm not a delinquent who knows who to break into rooms."

"I don't know how to break into rooms!" Yusuke shot back.

Ema had to cough to stop herself from giggling. The last thing she wanted to do was encourage Fuuto, but Yusuke's reactions to him were funny sometimes.

"That doesn't explain how you got the key," Ema said. "Or what you're doing here."

"I'm working nearby and needed a break," Fuuto answered with a careless shrug. "Masaomi texted me yesterday that you guys were coming out here and I ran into Louis on the street just now while I was out for a walk. He gave me the key and told me poor you was locked up in an inn when you were supposed to be outside hiking because this idiot here caught a cold."

"It's not my fault!" Yusuke said. "And I didn't ask Ema to stay."

"Did you want to rest instead?" Ema asked, suddenly concerned she had forced her presence on Yusuke. She hadn't wanted him to be stuck alone at the inn, but hadn't considered that he might just want to sleep.

"No—"

"Well, looks like my big brother needs his rest to get over his cold," Fuuto interrupted. "I'd hate for him to have to miss school because he didn't get enough rest over the weekend. We all know he can't afford to miss any days with his grades as bad as they are. I'll just take Ema and entertain her in her own room."

"Wait, no! You can't just—" Despite Yusuke's attempted protests, the next thing she knew, the movies were in Fuuto's hands and they were both in the hallway.

"Well, where's your room?" Fuuto asked. "I can't exactly lead the way since I don't know where it is."

Ema glanced uncertainly at Yusuke's door. She felt bad walking out like that, but Yusuke really didn't look like he felt well. His skin had been flushed all morning and Ema was sure that Yusuke would have insisted on them going hiking if he'd felt up to it. He wasn't one to let a little cold stop him from doing what he wanted. Despite any protests he may have tried to make, he probably did need his rest.

However, that didn't mean she had to follow Fuuto's plan. "Why would you want to watch a movie with me?" She asked, crossing her arms. "I thought I was one of your least favorite people. If Yusuke's going to rest, maybe I'll just go hiking by myself." Except, she'd promised Natsume that she would be careful, and going hiking alone in an unfamiliar area wasn't being very careful.

"I want to watch a movie on my break and you're the only one with a watchable TV nearby, that's why. I've been working sixteen hour days all week."

Suddenly, Ema felt guilty. She knew Fuuto worked long hours when he was away from home. If this was his only chance for a break, who was she to deny him? Plus, she was sure that if she did leave, he would just find a way into her room to watch a video anyway, and she didn't like the thought of him being in her room by himself.

"Fine," she said, leading the way. Still, she wondered why he'd come in the first place. He didn't seem to like spending time with his family much more than he liked spending time around Ema, so why drop by to visit? And before he came, he couldn't have known they had movies available to watch.

She shook her head. Boys. They were impossible to understand, no matter what country they came from.

~.~

Ema sat stiffly on her bed while Fuuto lounged on the bed, leaning against the wall. She was _not_ comfortable with this situation and was upset at herself for letting it happen. Just because she wanted Fuuto to be able to take a break and watch a movie didn't mean he had to do it in her room. She could have had Yusuke rest in her room with Fuuto watching the movie in the boys' room while Ema did something else.

Of course, that might have made Yusuke uncomfortable, and it would have inconvenienced him to make him switch rooms while he was sick. Ema sighed mentally. Since she wasn't comfortable with Fuuto being in her room by himself, it looked like this was the best situation after all. But that didn't mean she had to be happy about it.

Time passed and Ema, to her surprise, was able to relax. Mostly because Fuuto wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention to her. Since the movie started, he hadn't said one word to tease, harass, or insult her. It appeared he truly had wanted to watch a movie, as he'd claimed.

Unable to help herself, Ema peeked at Fuuto to find his attention completely focused on the screen. Mentally shrugging, Ema leaned back against the wall like Fuuto was doing and watched the rest of the movie.

"Man, Ren Tarino does such a good job," Fuuto said, still staring at the TV screen, though it was only showing the credits. "The emotion he evoked in that last scene was incredible."

"I didn't know you were into actors," Ema said. Who would have thought Fuuto would be a fan of anyone but himself? But Ema supposed even idols had people they looked up to.

"I'm not into actors," Fuuto said, sounding offended. "I'm into acting."

"Acting?" Ema repeated. "You want to be an actor?"

Fuuto nodded. "That's why I spend most of my spare time watching movies, so I study the best."

"On top of everything else?" Ema said in surprise. Ema didn't imagine Fuuto had much free time between work and school. She wouldn't have guessed he spent what little free time he had on studying to become an actor. He was even more hard working than she had thought. "Don't you do anything just for fun?"

Fuuto looked taken aback by Ema's question, then he shrugged. "I'm not like my idiot brothers Tsubaki and Kaname who have time to mess around. I only have time to work toward my next dream."

"They're not stupid," Ema ground out, all her usual frustration with Fuuto rushing in. "Tsubaki has worked really hard to get where he is, and still works hard to be one of the best in the industry. You shouldn't look down on others."

"Why not?" Fuuto asked, appearing entirely serious. "If I'm better than them, if I work harder and longer than them, if I'm more successful, why not look down on them?"

Ema shook her head, disgusted with Fuuto. How had he come out of the same family as people like Azusa and Masaomi? "There are other things important in life than just those, Fuuto. And there are a lot of different measures of success than money and fame."

"Yeah?" Fuuto said disbelievingly. "Since I've already been in the working world for a few years, I think I may understand a little more about it than you. Anyway, this conversation is boring me." He leaned toward Ema, lowering his lashes. "You asked if I ever did anything fun. Why don't we have some fun right now?"

"Nope," Ema said, immediately hopping off the bed. "One movie is all the fun I can handle. Besides, Louis and Subaru should be back soon. I need to see if Yusuke is still awake and find out what we're doing for lunch today."

~.~

"I don't think this adventure was very relaxing," Louis said, folding his arms behind his head as he stared up at the stars. "Sorry about that."

"I don't think adventures are supposed to be relaxing, Louie," Ema said, amused. "Though I agree that this one was maybe a bit more stressful than ideal." The two of them plus Juli were laying on a blanket outside staring up at the stars. Since Subaru had gone hiking with Ema Friday evening, he'd offered to watch over Yusuke that night so Louis and Ema could do something. Fuuto, thankfully, had left shortly before dinner. Ema still didn't understand why he didn't leave after getting to watch a movie. Maybe he liked his family better than he admitted.

Juli snorted. "You're telling me. This was almost more stressful than being at home."

Louis sighed. "Definitely. I think I have more respect for Masaomi and Ukyo now, though. Taking care of little brothers is hard. Especially when they fight like Yusuke and Fuuto. I don't think either of them said one nice thing to each other today. It was only for a couple hours, but it made me exhausted. Next adventure, we should bring some of my older brothers again. Or Iori. He's good at being calm."

"I think Iori is one of the few people who doesn't get upset with Fuuto. And Masoami and Ukyo put up with a lot," Ema agreed. "They do a good job taking care of everyone. I think the Asahina household would fall apart without their support."

"Mmhm," Louis agreed. "Maybe we should do something nice for them, to say thank you."

"That sounds like a good idea," Ema agreed. "You know what I think another good idea is?"

"What?" Louis asked, still looking up at the stars.

"We should take an overnight trip with just the three of us sometime and go somewhere where we can see the stars even better."

"That is a good idea," Louis agreed.

"That has my full support!" Juli agreed. "A real vacation means no wolves being around."

They three of them stayed out together watching the stars until the cold drove them inside.


	24. Just Acting

**A/N:** Hooray for the long weekend giving me extra time to write!

 **Chapter 24: Just Acting**

"Ever since you came here, my mind has been consumed by you," Azusa said. "I thought of you even when you weren't here, but now that you're right in front of me…all I think about is you. I don't ever want to leave your side."

"Of course," Ema said hesitantly. "Isn't that the way it's supposed to be?"

"No, you're misunderstanding my feelings," Azusa said, voice pained and desperate. "It's more than that. It's not just a desire to guard you, it's a desire _for_ you _._ "

"Excellent!" Director Agota called. "Let's take a short break."

"Whew, that was intense," Ema said as she and Azusa stepped out of the recording booth to get a drink. The atmosphere in the small space had felt heavy, but that happened sometimes when they were recording. It always made Ema happy because it was a sign that the emotions they were conveying were real.

"Yes," Azusa agreed. "It's just a dream sequence, but I think it's the most dramatic interaction between the guards and the princess so far in the anime."

"I think the dream sequences are fun," Ema said. "It's a nice way for the audience to get inside the guards' heads and see their true feelings. You can tell that they're dedicated to their duty to protect and aid the princess, and that they're grateful to her for leaving her home to help their world, but other than that they're pretty stoic."

"It's an introspective look you often don't get to see for stoic characters," Azusa said. "Writers and directors tend to leave those characters as mysterious. It makes sense, though. Both the guards were chosen as toddlers and raised to protect this princess. They've spent their whole lives preparing to serve her when she arrives, and when she does she's everything they were promised she would be. Although they didn't know it, I think both guards were half in love with the princess before she ever arrived."

Ema nodded. It didn't matter that these were just anime characters. Playing them, they had almost become real people to Ema. She loved them and felt for them. "I don't think either guard will ever admit their feelings in real life. They're too dedicated to their duty and know the princess wants to return home if she can after they defeat the darkness. It's fun to be able to see their real feelings in their dreams since otherwise it would probably never be in the show."

"All right, you two," Director Agota called cheerfully. "We're ready for the next part." He waited for Azusa and Ema to reenter the recording booth before continuing his direction. "I've been debating up to this point whether to have you both kiss your hands for the kissing scene, or just have you two do it. I've decided it will be more dramatic and realistic if we use the sound of you two kissing. Then I can make sure it perfectly matches the scene."

Ema blinked before a feeling of panic rose. No one said anything about kissing someone when she was offered the role of the princess. This was _voice_ acting. Since when did voice acting include kissing people? How could she not have considered how the kissing scene would play out when she'd read the script? Somehow, she'd assumed they would just use stock kissing noises or make them some other way. After all, it wasn't like they had to walk for the sound of their footsteps in the show. The sound department was responsible for that.

Azusa must have seen the panicked look in her eyes. "It's all right," he told her. "It's just acting. Since this is Veeto's dream, just focus on how Veeto feels and how he would want the princess to respond to him."

Ema nodded, sure her eyes were still too wide, but Azusa was right. Ema loved these characters and wanted to portray them to the best of her ability. As Ema had just been saying, this scene was probably the only time the guard Veeto would have to express his feelings for the princess in the show. She wanted the audience to understand how much Veeto adored the princess and wanted her to return his feelings. It would make them love and feel for Veeto all the more when they saw him holding his feelings back for the sake of Princess Neena.

Besides, it was just acting. The same as when Ema cried or was happy as Neena. And at least she wouldn't be kissing a stranger. Azusa was her friend and they were both working professionally. This was a team effort to make the anime the best it could be. Plus, it wasn't like this was Ema' first kiss or anything. There was no reason for her to be shy about it.

"Right," she said again, nodding more firmly this time.

"Okay, let's take it from Veeto's last line," Director Agota said.

Despite Ema's dedication to doing this right, her heart still pounded as she turned toward Azusa.

"It's not just a desire to guard you," Azusa said, his voice thick with emotion, "it's a desire for _you_."

Ema gasped Veeto's name as she was supposed to, and then Azusa's lips were on hers. Automatically, her hands went to Azusa's shoulders. She hoped he didn't mind, but kissing someone while keeping her hands at her sides felt too awkward.

Azusa pulled back and Ema lowered her arms. Before Azusa could say his next line, Director Agota's voice came over the speaker. Actually, technically his sigh came over before his voice. "No good, you two. I know it's awkward the first time you kiss as two characters, but you must not think of yourselves as Azusa and Ema. You must think of yourselves as Veeto and Neena inside Veeto's dream showcasing the deepest thoughts of his heart. Don't forget that we tested out the chemistry between you before Ema was offered the role to make sure we could make the audience _believe_ you have deep feelings for each other. Why don't you two practice for a bit before we try that scene again? Role play as though you were the characters. Also," he leaned closer to the mike for emphasis, "the kiss was _too short_. Veeto wouldn't be in a rush at his first opportunity to finally kiss the princess."

Ema flushed, both embarrassed that they'd have to keep kissing, and that she had let Azusa and the director down. Surely, it was her fault since Azusa had done this before and was a professional. As Ema thought that, she realized she hadn't been keeping in her mind what Neena, or Veeto's version of Neena, would be thinking inside Veeto's dream. She had just been thinking that she needed to kiss Azusa.

"Sorry, Azusa," she said quietly.

"It's okay," Azusa assured her. "It wasn't just your fault." He smiled a little. "As the director said, it usually hard the first time. And, I've never done a scene like this with a childhood friend before."

"I want to get inside Veeto's head more," Ema told Azusa. "I think in his mind, Princess Neena is the most pure and good person in the world, so she would be surprised by the kiss, but when Veeto expresses that he's concerned he overstepped his bounds, Neena will kiss him to let him know she returns his feelings, since that's what Veeto would want the most."

"Yes." Azusa nodded. "That's how I see Veeto's feelings exactly. He feels that as the princess' guard, it's not appropriate for him to have these feelings, so he hides them. But if he were honest with himself, he'd admit these feelings are precious to him and the princess feeling the same for him might mean more to him than even saving his world from the darkness. However, because of how duty bound he is, he would never admit this even to himself. It's why we can only see his real feelings in his dream."

"That's why it's so important to do this scene right," Ema said earnestly. "It's Veeto's only chance to show his real feelings to the audience."

Azusa smiled. "Exactly. Are you ready to try again?"

Ema nodded, then paused. "Do you mind if I put my hands on you like I did before? I don't think I can make the kiss believable if I don't."

"Do whatever you need to," Azusa said, to Ema's relief. "It will probably help me if I do the same. In a case like this, we need to act with our bodies as well as our sounds, even if the audience won't see it." That relieved Ema even more to know it wasn't just her.

The look in Azusa's eyes changed and Ema knew he was roleplaying Veeto now. "Princess," he sighed, cupping Ema's cheek. "We see each other every day, but I can never be honest with you."

"But you're my trusted guard," Ema said, holding her hands against her chest and taking a step toward him. "I always want you to be honest with me."

Azusa's face twitched in a pained expression. "You wouldn't say that if you knew," he said, bringing his face closer to Ema's. "You wouldn't say that if you knew how I truly felt, what I truly, in my selfish, hidden heart, wish for."

"You can't say that without speaking to me," Ema said, raising her head toward Azusa's. "You can't say you know how I'll react without telling me what you wish to say. That's not fair."

"Neena," Azusa breathed before closing the short gap between them. Ema made a surprised mewling sound, as Princess Neena would if one of the guards suddenly kissed her, but her hands went to his hair. Ema's heart was still racing, but less from embarrassment this time.

Azusa deepened the kiss and Ema pushed herself more closely against him. He pulled back just enough to say, "You see? I'm terrible. All this time I've been protecting you, I've _wanted_ you. I can barely look at you without my heart burning with love for you, with desire for you."

"Veeto," Ema said, eyes compassionate as she ran her hands through Azusa's hair to pull him back down to her. "Don't you know how much you mean to me? How much your care and compassion has helped me? I would be lost without you." She paused, her lips a breath away from Azusa's. "I don't want you to ever leave my side." And then she kissed him.

Azusa tightened his arms around Ema, Veeto feeling free to do as he wished now that the princess had given him permission to kiss her.

Ema's heart felt lighter when they pulled back that time, stepping away from each other. Even she had been able to tell that that time was _much_ better.

"Good!" Director Agota complimented. "I loved the ad lib 'I would be lost without you', Ema. We'll add that into the script. Those are just the words Veeto would want to hear. Practice a couple more times, and then we'll run the scene for real."

Ema smiled as she turned back to Azusa, now confident the two of them could properly play the role of Veeto and Neena kissing and do this scene the justice it deserved.

~.~

Ema was flying high when she arrived home. Director Agota had been thrilled with Ema and Azusa's final performance of the scene, and so was she. It was also exciting that Agota had decided to add in a line Ema had used when she and Azusa had been role playing. The kissing scene was the biggest challenge Ema had encountered so far in voice acting and she was pleased she had conquered it.

At least, she was until she got home and saw Tsubaki sitting at the table. In that moment, she realized she'd have to do a mirror of the scene she'd done with Azusa with Tsubaki. Except…she'd already done it with Azusa, so she would be better right away, wouldn't she?

Ema bit her lip as she stared at the back of Tsubaki's head. She had the feeling it wouldn't work that way. She had become comfortable with kissing Azusa while they spent all that time practicing in the recording booth, but she was pretty sure that kissing Tsubaki would be different simply because he was a different person. After one day, Ema didn't have so much experience with acting that she could simply kiss anyone and make it seem real, make the emotion something that would touch the audience's heart.

She did not want to disappoint Agota again the way she and Azusa had today. He'd seemed so disappointed that the chemistry he'd felt between Ema and Azusa during Ema's audition hadn't immediately translated into passion in their kiss. Ema didn't want to disappoint him the same way with her and Tsubaki's scene, which they were supposed to film in two days.

"Tsubaki?" Ema said hesitantly as she approached the table.

"Ema!" He exclaimed, his eyes lighting up when he saw her. "How was work today? You and Azusa filmed the dream sequence, right?"

"Work was good," Ema said. "Well, it was good in the end. Great, actually, but we struggled for a bit."

"Yeah?" Tsubaki said, turning toward Ema. "What with?"

"Well, with properly expressing Princess Neena's and Veeto's emotions for the scene. Like I said, it was great in the end. Director Agota was very happy with how things turned out, and so was I, but…I was wondering if maybe you and I could practice beforehand so we don't run into the same problems Azusa and I did. Do you have some time right now?" Ema felt a little embarrassed asking, but figured Tsubaki wouldn't mind. He was a professional, after all, so practicing a kissing scene shouldn't bother him. They had practiced other lines at home for the anime before.

"Sure," Tsubaki agreed. "I was just going over lines for another anime I'm doing, but we can work on the dream scene right now. Did you want to practice in the upper living room?"

Ema's face burned as she shook her head. Acting or not, she didn't think she could properly focus on the role if any of the other Asahina brothers saw them kissing. "Can we practice in your room?"

"Okay," Tsubaki agreed with a shrug, standing. "I guess the others should be getting home from work soon and would interrupt us. Let's go."

~.~

"So, where did you want to start from?" Tsubaki asked once they were in his room and had their scripts. "You can sit down too," he said, patting the space on the bed next to him.

"Um, I think that might make it a little hard to practice," she said. She could feel that her face was flaming red and she wished it would stop. She had gotten over her embarrassment with Azusa while they were recording. Why did she have to feel awkward all over again with Tsubaki? If anything, she was even closer with him than Azusa.

"Hard to practice what?" Tsubaki asked, raising an eyebrow. "You've sat while we've practiced before. Do you feel you deliver your lines better if you're standing?"

Ema shook her head. "Um, Director Agota wants the kissing in the dream sequences to be real kissing. That's why Azusa and I struggled. We were both a little awkward and I think the director was really disappointed. That's why I wanted to get the awkwardness out of the way with us, so when we actually do it, we'll already be good and the director will be pleased."

Tsubaki's eyes widened and he looked down at the script. "Right. The kissing. I hadn't even thought about how that would be handled. The last time I did a series under him where there was a kissing scene, he just had me kiss my hand."

"He said that he debated having us do that," Ema explained. "But in the end decided the scene would be better if we actually kissed."

"So, you and Azusa have already kissed, right? Since you finished the scene today?"

"It was just acting," Ema blurted out, then felt stupid. Of course, Tsubaki knew it was just acting. She put a hand to her head. "Sorry. This has me a little frazzled. I wasn't expecting for something like this to happen when I said yes to doing the anime."

"Don't worry about," Tsubaki assured her, standing. "Plenty of voice actors have embarrassing stories to tell about having to kiss their costars, and it sounds like you and Azusa got everything worked out. We'll get this down and blow Director Agota away with our performance."

"Okay!" Ema said, grateful and cheerful that Tsubaki was okay with them practicing the scene. "We can practice the scene with the scripted lines first, but if that feels stilted, maybe we can try what Director Agota had Azusa and I do. He had us role play our characters to practice the kissing scene, and that really helped Azusa and I to get into character."

"Sounds like a plan," Tsubaki said.

~.~

Azusa was in the recording studio two days later to watch Ema and Tsubaki as they recorded the scene. Ema had told Azusa that they'd practiced beforehand in the hope of not running into the same problems she and Azusa had. Azusa didn't have any lines to record for this anime today, but he was curious to see the results of Ema and Tsubaki's practice.

"Sometimes it's painful to be by your side every day," Tsubaki as Zeeto said. "But there isn't anywhere else I would rather be."

"Painful?" Ema asked, her voice tinged with hurt. "You find it painful to be around me? Is it because I'm not of your world? Because I'm not your princess?"

"No!" Tsubaki exclaimed, taking Ema's hands in his and staring into her eyes. Azusa was surprised since it seemed a little early in the scene for physical contact. "You _are_ my princess. Mine and no one else's." The pause that followed was heavy. Tsubaki hung his head. "Except, you're not, and that's exactly why it's painful. I have no right to call you _my_ princess. You belong to another realm, and to the people you came here to save. I have no right to think of you in such a way when I come from such a lowly station."

"Lowly?" Ema asked, freeing one of her hands to cup Tsubaki's cheek. "How can you use that word when you mean so much to me? You above everyone have been by my side from the moment I came here and supported me through it all." Ema bit her lip and her cheeks flushed.

Azusa found his heart pounding. Ema was fully playing the role of Princess Neena, but the way she looked right then…Azusa wanted to take her in _his_ arms and kiss her. He mentally shook his head. Watching Ema and Tsubaki play Zeeto and Neena, he was probably just channeling Veeto's feelings.

"I _am_ your princess," Ema said. "And you…are _my_ guard. In this world where I have nothing, I claim you as mine and mine alone."

"I am yours," Tsubaki fervently promised. "For as long as you'll have me." He swept Ema into his arms and kissed her. The force of his lips looked like enough to push Ema back if his arm hadn't been wrapped so tightly against Ema's lower back. Tsubaki pulled back enough for Ema to gasp, before her hand on his face gently guided him back down to her.

Azusa felt his stomach twist into knots, though didn't know why. He wished he had a video of when he and Ema had kissed. Had they looked just as lost in each other? Just as oblivious to the world around them and only able to feel, taste, experience one another? That was how Ema and Tsubaki looked. Like the world could cave around them and they couldn't notice or care.

He suddenly wondered what Ema's and Tsubaki's 'practice' had entailed. Had they even said lines, or had they just kissed? He immediately knew the thought was stupid. He knew how important getting the characters and scene right was to both of them. Of course, they were putting their all into the performance.

When Tsubaki pulled away, Ema made a mewling sound of protest that made Azusa want to push her against the wall and kiss her until she made the sounds against his mouth. Did she always make sounds like that when she was kissing, or was she just doing it for the role of Princess Neena?

He was dragged out of his thoughts when Director Agota yelled, "Perfect! I love it! That passion is what I'm talking about! Going forward, I want that passion to underlie the guards' actions when they interact with the princess. They still don't want to admit their feelings because they believe they're wrong, and they'll still remain as stoic as they can, but I want their composure to slip just a little as they interact with the princess. They can't help showing their love for her in their actions, the tone of their voice, their protectiveness toward her. You're threesome will soon encounter the main protagonist's group and I want both guards to be even more protective of the princess than they've been in the past."

"Right," Tsubaki and Azusa agreed. Part of Azusa was jealous with how happy Agota was with Tsubaki's and Ema's performance, but he knew that wasn't fair. Ema and Tsubaki had practiced beforehand to make sure they got it right for recording. Azusa and Ema hadn't, which was why it had taken them more time to get the scene right during the actual recording. Azusa had no reason to feel jealous.

Except, Tsubaki was holding Ema's hand when they came out of the recording booth. "That went well!" He said happily, squeezing Ema's hand. "Let's all go out to dinner to celebrate."


	25. Lingering Feelings

**Chapter 25: Lingering Feelings**

"Ooo, I'm so excited!" Wataru said as part of the family gathered to watch the TV. "It's so fun to watch Tsubaki, and Ema, and Azusa all on the same show!"

"You're not watching them," Yusuke said, rolling his eyes. "You're hearing their voices."

"Close enough!" Wataru shot back. "It has all three of them in it and it's fun to watch!"

"Now, now, you two, be nice to one another," Masaomi said, making sure to sit between Yusuke and Wataru. Wataru leaned around Masaomi to stick his tongue out at Yusuke.

"Ema, come sit by us," Tsubaki called.

Ema sat between the twins and Tsubaki draped his arm across the back of the couch, brushing against her shoulders.

"I'm glad you're enjoying the anime, Wataru," Ema said. "We worked really hard on this episode." The Princess's guards' dream sequences were finally airing. Ema was excited to see how the scenes turned out with animation.

The living room went quiet as the opening song played. It was an effort for Ema not to sit on the edge of her seat as she watched. She wondered if the twins had been as anxious watching any of their animes when they first started out as voice actors. She was just so invested in the characters and so excited. And she was especially proud of how the voicing for today's episode had turned out.

Zeeto, Tsubaki's character, had his dream scene play out first. Partway through Veeto's dream, Azusa's character, Wataru said, "How do they make the kissing noises? It sounds really real. Do they have stock kissing sounds or something?"

Ema's eyes widened and she froze. She hadn't thought anyone would ask something like that. While practicing and working with the twins, she had stopped being embarrassed about kissing them, but admitting it to people outside those working on the anime seemed embarrassing all over again.

Yusuke's head whipped around to stare in Ema's direction and Masaomi and Ukyo also looked over. Ema could feel her face heating up when Azusa said, "Most directors just have actors kiss their own hands to make the sounds for kiss scenes."

"Oh, I see!" Wataru said, settling into the couch again. "That's why it sounds real, then. 'Cause it is!"

"Whew!" Yusuke said, sounding relieved for some reason. "That sounds kind of weird, but I guess you have to get the sound somehow."

As everyone's attention turned back to the show, Ema was able to relax. "Thanks, Azusa," she whispered, grabbing his hand and giving it a squeeze. He squeezed back before she let go.

~.~

Ukyo stared blankly at the show as it continued running. Wataru and Yusuke had been easily pacified by Azusa's explanation. Or, perhaps, Ukyo should say duped. Azusa said _most_ directors had actors kiss their own hands. He did not say _they_ had kissed their own hands. The only logical conclusion for Azusa's statement was that both the twins had kissed Ema for the scenes.

The thought made Ukyo curl his hands into fists. He knew Ema doing voice acting was a bad idea. And what was the director thinking? She was in high school. She shouldn't be kissing anyone. Suddenly, the images from the anime of the guards kissing the princess flashed through Ukyo's mind, except the guards were replaced with the twins and the princess was replaced with Ema. Just imagining the twins kissing Ema made him want to kick the TV.

He'd probably continue watching the show to support Ema, and because it would be odd for him to suddenly stop when he'd been watching from episode one. He didn't want to hurt Ema's feelings. However, the show was ruined for him now. Every time he thought of it, he would just think of his brothers holding Ema in their arms.

Then he realized he was being stupid. Azusa and Tsubaki hadn't kissed Ema with a camera on them to capture the scene, they'd had a microphone to capture the sound. They probably hadn't held Ema at all, just kissed her long enough to get the recording they needed. He peeked at the three of them out of the corner of his eye. At least, they'd better not have held Ema in their arms.

He wouldn't put it past Tsubaki to take advantage in a situation like that. However, Tsubaki would only take advantage if he was interested in the person involved, and he'd always treated Ema like a little sister.

Ukyo settled back into the couch and tried to relax. He probably had nothing to worry about. A lawyer like him should really think things through more logically.

 _~.~_

"What do you think, Zeeto?" Ema asked as she and Tsubaki rehearsed in his room. After rehearsing in his room for the kissing scene, they naturally switched to always doing that. They had fewer interruptions that way. "Should we trust them?"

Tsubaki looked reluctant as he delivered Zeeto's line. "They appear sincere, Princess, and their cause is just, but I am reluctant to entrust you in the presence of anyone I do not know. Especially, since we have been separated from Veeto and there is only me to guard you. I cannot be alert at all times."

Ema bit her lip as she confided Princess Neena's next words. "I'm afraid we will not be able to accomplish this journey on our own. You and Veeto are unfamiliar with this area, and we've been unable to discover where the darkness is emanating from. If we cannot stop the darkness, I left my people for nothing."

Tsubaki sighed. "I see your point. I do not like the situation, but I believe you are correct. Please, do not leave my side."

"Perhaps you are being a little overprotective? I agree that this group seems sincere. I believe they could be great allies to us."

"Overpro—" Tsubaki's words died off partway through the word, as they were supposed to. He closed his eyes and sighed. "Perhaps. Sometimes it is hard to tell with you."

"Hard to tell?" Ema asked, cocking her head. "What do you mean, Zeeto?" Zeeto was supposed to be referencing his feelings for the princess, that sometimes he didn't know when he was protective of her as his guard, and when he was protective of her as a man.

"I…"

Ema blinked in confusion at the script. Tsubaki's next line didn't start with 'I'. She raised her head to ask him about it, just in time for him to grip her arm and brush his lips across hers.

Her lips parted in a gasp and Tsubaki pushed more firmly. Ema's heart raced in confusion. That definitely wasn't in the script.

Ema's body finally seemed to sync with her mind and she pushed against Tsubaki's chest with her free hand. His eyes looked surprised, as though he were shocked to realize he'd been kissing her.

"I-I think you might be channeling Zeeto a little too strongly," Ema said, her voice higher than normal. She felt her cheeks flame and she looked at the floor instead. How had she not noticed what a great kisser Tsubaki was before? Had she been too involved in the acting? "It makes sense since we're so immersed in the characters, and we spend a lot of time with them and with each other…" And they were alone, just like Zeeto and Neena currently were in the anime. It made sense that they might get overly caught up in their roles.

She glanced at Tsubaki to find him still looking surprised.

"Sorry, Ema," he said, running a hand over his face. "Yeah, I guess I just got too caught up in the role. Sorry."

"It's okay," Ema said, relaxing. "It's fine. Maybe we should practice with Azusa next time, though." She glanced at her watch. "It's getting a little late. I'm going to go to bed. I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

"Right," Tsubaki said. "Good night, Ema."

~.~

"Crap," Tsubaki whispered, sitting on the edge of his bed and burying his head in his hands. What the heck had that been? They had been doing a read through and it had been fine, then Ema had looked so adorable he wanted to kiss her. It wasn't, as she said, Tsubaki being Zeeto and wanting to kiss Princess Neena. It had been Tsubaki wanting to kiss Ema.

What Tsubaki couldn't figure out was when he decided that would be a good idea. He'd felt totally platonic all through practicing and recording of their kissing scene. Well, maybe not one hundred percent platonic. He'd been surprised at Ema's skill with kissing (which had again made him want to know about that stupid mysterious boyfriend Ema refused to talk about), and he'd wondered if Ema always kissed like that, but that had been the extent of it.

But, it made sense for him to feel this way, didn't it? They had so much in common, and Ema was wonderful. They'd stayed close even while Ema had been away. She'd supported his dream of being a voice actor and been enthusiastic over his success. Ema coming back and living with them had been wonderful. She brightened up the house and loved spending time with family as much as he did. Before long, it seemed like she belonged with the Asahinas. He couldn't imagine coming home and not having her there.

And, apparently, since the kissing scene he couldn't help noticing how cute Ema was. He'd always known she was cute, of course, but it had been in a little girl way. Now that she was grown-up…Well, there wasn't anything wrong with his feelings for Ema changing, was there? He couldn't see any reason not to pursue her. There was the fact that she'd fervently claimed she would not date while in Japan, but he just needed to convince Ema he would be worth it. He smiled. He'd always liked a challenge and proving to Ema that the two of them would make a great couple would be fun.

~.~

Azusa's heart twisted inside his chest when he saw Ema walk out of Tsubaki's room.

He hated feeling this way, feeling uncertain about Ema and irritated at Tsubaki. He didn't know where these feelings were coming from and he didn't like it. Tsubaki was his best friend and other half. His world wasn't right when the two of them weren't getting along and he didn't like anything that came between them.

"Hey Azusa," Ema said, flashing him a smile. She looked a little distracted. "Tsubaki and I were just rehearsing the scene where Veeto gets separated from Zeeto and the Princess. You should join us next time. Even though Veeto isn't present, you could still offer us critiques on if you feel we aren't acting concerned enough about his absence." She blushed and hung her head a little. "Well, you could offer me critiques. Tsubaki probably does it perfectly."

The tightness in Azusa's chest eased. Of course, they had just been rehearsing. There was no need for Azusa to feel…whatever it was he had been feeling. Nothing had changed between Ema and Tsubaki or Ema and Azusa. Everything was the same as ever.

"I'd be happy to join you," Azusa told her. "You're doing very well, though. You can always tell if Director Agota isn't happy with an actor. There's a particular sigh with a sad face he does whenever he works with them. You haven't gotten the sigh or the sad look once. Well…maybe when you and I struggled with the dream scene, but that was on both of us."

Ema beamed. "Thank you, Azusa. It makes me very happy to hear that. Working with you and Tsubaki on this project has been amazing."

"Good," Azusa said. "I'm glad you're enjoying it. Good night, Ema."

"Night, Azusa." Ema waved to Azusa before going into her room.


	26. Offering Thanks

**Chapter 26: Offering Thanks**

"Thank you for helping us put up the decorations for Masaomi and Ukyo," Ema told Kaname. "And sorry for asking you to help out." She and Louis had finally managed to put together the 'thank you' event for the two oldest that they'd discussed. It wasn't anything elaborate, but Ema was making pot roast, mashed potatoes, and vegetables, and had already made ice cream for dessert. They had made sure all the brothers could come. Minus Hikaru, of course, who was in Italy.

Best of all, Masaomi and Ukyo had no idea. Wataru and Yusuke had taken Masaomi out to look for toys for Wataru's birthday. The twins had taken charge of Ukyo, telling him they needed his advice on new suits they were thinking of buying.

Everyone else was busy until the evening, when the event would occur, so Ema, Louis, and Kaname were decorating the living room. It wasn't too fancy, just a banner that read, 'Thank you for all you do!' and a couple streamers and balloons. They also had two cards, one for Masaomi and one for Ukyo, that everyone had signed.

"It's no problem," Kaname said, holding the stepladder steady as Ema taped one side of the banner high on the wall. "I think it's very sweet of you and Louis to put this together for Masaomi and Ukyo. They're the ones who keep this house running. Everything would fall apart without them. I think giving thanks to those two is long overdue."

Ema stretched on her tiptoes and Kaname placed a hand on her calf, concerned about her balance.

"Careful," he said. "It wouldn't be much of a 'thank you' party if Masaomi had to come home and treat you instead of eating the delicious dinner you've got cooking."

Ema smiled down at him. "I will be, and while everything you said about Ukyo and Masaomi is true, I was more apologizing over having you help when you should be one of the ones we're thanking as well."

"Me?" Kaname said in surprise, his hand tightening around Ema's leg for a moment. He loosened his grip when he realized what he'd done. "Why me?"

"Because you help take care of everyone, too," Ema said, surprised Kaname would ask. "You might not do it in the same way as Ukyo and Masaomi, but you're always thinking of others. Ukyo makes sure the house runs smoothly with cooking, laundry, and making sure all the younger kids do their homework and chores. Masaomi provides security. He makes sure everyone has what they need, and I feel like everyone is more relaxed when Masaomi is home. Everyone just feels like everything will be okay with him here, but you take care of people emotionally."

Finished with her taping, Ema stepped down from the ladder. Kaname gave her his hand to help her down and Ema kept hold of it as she spoke. "Even when you've had a long day at work, you still ask how other people's day was, and you always seem to notice when someone is upset. I've seen you take several brothers aside to talk to them when they're having a hard time."

"That's sweet of you," Kaname said, patting her shoulder. He still looked surprised by Ema's words. "I'm not sure any of my brothers would agree with you over me being as reliable as Ukyo and Masaomi, though."

Ema shrugged. "Sometimes, it's easier to appreciate people if you've had to live without their help. Both Ukyo and Masaomi offered a lot less support while they were in school, so everyone knows what it's like to not have them around as much. You never did anything like that, so no one knows what it's like to not have you around most of the time."

Kaname laughed and shook his head. "You're quite the young woman, you know that, Ema? Well, I can assure that not having had you around for years, we do appreciate your presence here."

"I'm happy to hear I haven't worn out my welcome yet," Ema said, following Kaname as he grabbed the step ladder and moved to the opposite side of the hall so they could finish hanging the banner.

~.~

"Surprise!" Ema and the brothers exclaimed when Masaomi and Ukyo entered the upstairs later that night.

"What's all this?" Masaomi said, staring up at the banner.

"It's a thank you party for all you and Ukyo do," Ema explained. "We wanted to express our thanks. The Asahina household wouldn't be able to run without everything you do."

"That's very kind of you to say so, Ema," Masaomi said. "Thank you, everyone."

"Most of this was Ema's work," Kaname said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "She cooked dinner, made the dessert, made sure everyone was coming, and did most of the decorating."

"It was Louis' idea," Ema said, blushing. "And Kaname and Louis helped decorate, and several others helped make sure you two were away all day while we got ready. This couldn't have been a surprise without their help."

"You're always thinking of others," Ukyo said, smiling. "It's us who should be thanking you for everything you do for us." Several other brothers chimed in with their agreement.

Ema blushed and shook her head. "I could never repay the Asahina family for everything you've done for me. You don't know how much it means to me to be able to live here and go to school." To have a stable home and the same people to see in the morning and at night before bed. The same people to experience life with, whether it was the adventures she and Louis took around the city, or just making dinner with Ukyo. She really didn't think the Asahina brothers understood what it meant to her that they'd opened their home to her and were allowing her to live there.

~.~

"Thanks for inviting me tonight," Natsume told Ema as they stood eating their ice cream after dinner. "It's always a treat to have some of your cooking."

"I don't know about that," Ema said, "but I appreciate that you came. I know you're really busy with work right now."

"You should come visit on a Thursday!" Wataru chimed in, jumping between Ema and Natsume. "Then you could hear Ema in her anime."

"Her anime?" Natsume said, confused.

"That's right, you haven't heard!" Ema exclaimed. With the weather turning too cold for hikes, Natsume busy at work, and Ema busy with work as well, the two of them had been spending less time together. They'd exchanged a couple texts about games, but hadn't gotten together in person since Ema had started voicing the anime.

"I'm voicing an anime with Tsubaki and Azusa."

"You are?" Natsume asked, blinking in surprise. "How did that happen?"

"It's kind of a long story," Ema said, suddenly embarrassed. "I went to one of the twins' events for an anime they had just finished filming and met the director. One thing led to another and here I am. It wasn't my intention to do something like this, but I am enjoying it."

"Ema's really good," Wataru said, hugging her. "And the anime is cool! You should watch it. Ema is a princess and Tsubaki and Azusa are her guards. Ema had to kiss her hand for the anime though."

Ema blushed. While she was thrilled with how the dream sequences had turned out, it also wasn't something she wanted to dwell on. Somehow, it seemed to keep being brought up.

"What?" Natsume's eyebrows drew together in confusion.

"He's talking about a kissing scene in the show," Ema said. "Wataru wanted to know how the show got the sound of people kissing." Ema left it at that, hoping Natsume would assume Wataru was correct and that Ema had simply kissed her hand for the sake of the show. Why did it sound so embarrassing to admit to others that she'd kissed Tsubaki and Azusa for the show when she'd been fine while doing it? Well, fine after the initial shock and awkwardness of it.

"Huh. I'll have to check it out," Natsume promised. He smiled. "If you decide it's something you're interested in, maybe you should work with my company. Since more girls are becoming interested in zombie games, they're tossing around the idea of creating a zombie hunter game with a female lead."

"Really?" Ema asked, clasping her hands together in excitement. It wasn't the idea of voicing a game that excited her, but hearing that they might create one with a female lead. "That would be so amazing, and your company's games are always great. I hope you guys make it!"

"Hey, are you trying to steal our princess away?" Tsubaki asked, appearing at Ema's side and putting his arm around her shoulders. "You're just jealous of all the time Azusa and I are spending with Ema aren't you? By the way, Ema, your ice cream was amazing." He bent down to peck her cheek. "Way better than what's in the stores. You'll have to make more for mine and Azusa's birthday."

"Um, thanks, Tsubaki," Ema said. "I'd be happy to make some for you and Azusa if that's what you'd like for your birthdays." She rubbed her cheek where he'd kissed it, bemused. Tsubaki was an affectionate person and often put his arm around her or hugged her, but Ema wasn't sure she could recall him kissing her before. Not, since she'd come back, anyway. Not that she thought Tsubaki was trying to be romantic or anything, it was just a little odd.

"Why would I be jealous?" Natsume asked, frowning at Tsubaki. "You're just working together."

Tsubaki pouted. "Did you hear that, Azusa?" He asked, turning toward his twin. For some reason, Azusa looked irritated.

"Well, Natsume's right, isn't he?" Azusa said. "It's just work. And that's all he was proposing to Ema if his company does the game and if Ema is interested."

Ema bit her lip, wondering if Azusa's irritation was aimed at her. Maybe he felt like she wasn't doing a very good job and was disappointed? Or maybe it was because Director Agota had been upset with Azusa's performance with the kiss because of Ema's inexperience. She tried to tell herself she was being overly sensitive thinking she was the cause of Azusa's irritation. It could be any number of things. Still, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was somehow related to it.

"Hey, everyone," Kaname called, raising his voice above the various conversations. "Ukyo mentioned earlier that it's Ema who we should be thanking. Since next week is a long weekend, why don't we take Ema to the beach house? It should be warmer up there and it would be nice to escape the cold for a while."

"Beach house?" Ema repeated. She knew the Asahina's had a beach house, but she had never been before.

"Well, Ema, what do you think?" Masaomi asked. "Will you let us take you to the beach house to express our appreciation for you?"

"Okay," Ema said, grinning. She would love to spend some time on a warm beach. "Thank you!"

"Awesome!" Tsubaki said, squeezing Ema in a hug. "This will be great!"

Neither of them caught the irritated look that flashed across Azusa's face as he watched them.


	27. Beach House

**A/N:** Sorry this post is a bit late from my usual. Work has been crazy. I'm hoping to still post at least once a week.

kikurie Thank you for your review! I'm glad the last post ended up being close to your birthday :)

 **Chapter 27: Beach House**

"Isn't it refreshing to be out here on the beach?" Tsubaki asked, throwing an arm around Ema's shoulder.

"We're not on the beach yet," Ema said, half-laughing.

"We _almost_ are," Tsubaki argued, taking Ema's hands in his. He walked a couple steps backward, bringing Ema with him. He stopped once they stood on the sand. "See? Now we're on the beach."

"Hooray!" Ema exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air.

Tsubaki laughed and taking just one of Ema's hands this time, ran toward the beach.

Ukyo watched them disapprovingly, an anxious feeling growing in his chest. Was it possible Tsubaki _did_ have feelings for Ema? It was difficult to tell when he had always been affectionate with her. Ukyo was willing to admit that his jealousy might be making him see things that weren't there. After all, Tsubaki hanging over Ema while they were fully clothed was _very_ different than him doing it while he was in swim trunks and she was in a bikini.

He wondered if it was just his imagination or if Ema had looked a little uncomfortable when Tsubaki put his arm across her bare shoulders. Whether Tsubaki was romantically interested in Ema or not, he should pay attention to the fact that being in a swim suit might make Ema uncomfortable with some of his normal actions.

Ukyo was surprised when he noticed Azusa standing by him. "Why aren't you down by the beach?" He asked. Ukyo would feel much better about Ema and Tsubaki at the beach if they weren't alone down there. Azusa's presence would ensure nothing happened.

"Well, it looks like I'm not really wanted, doesn't it?" Azusa snapped.

"You mean because Tsubaki went to the beach without you?" Ukyo asked, looking in the direction Ema and Tsubaki had gone. It was true that it was odd for Tsubaki to leave without Azusa, but the beach _was_ just twenty yards or so from the house. It wasn't as though Tsubaki had truly left without his twin. "I'm sure Tsubaki is waiting for you to join them…Unless he said something to you?" If Tsubaki held feelings for Ema, surly, Azusa would know.

"No," Azusa said, shaking his head. "Sorry, I'm just being dumb."

Ukyo frowned as he watched Azusa trudge toward the beach. Had the twins gotten into a fight?

~.~

Azusa stood a little back, watching Tsubaki and Ema splash each other and laugh. Was he just being stupid? He knew he didn't like his sudden attraction to Ema. It was too complicated, and probably just a result of him confusing his own feelings with Veeto's. He and Ema had been spending a lot of time together, so it made sense that he was paying more attention to her now and thinking of her more. It didn't mean he was developing feelings for her.

Thinking someone was attractive didn't mean you wanted to be with them. Neither did being jealous when other guys touched them.

He felt another spike of resentment as Tsubaki picked Ema up and dumped her in the water. Why was Tsubaki acting like this? Azusa was pretty sure it wasn't his imagination that Tsubaki had been staying even closer to Ema than usual for the last couple days. Again, it made sense that the two of them would become closer with all the time they were spending together, but Azusa was afraid it might be more than that.

Didn't Tsubaki see the problems a relationship with Ema might cause? Or was he oblivious to anyone but himself?

When Tsubaki glanced up and spotted Azusa, his face lit up. "Dude, what are doing up there? Come join us!" He waved his hand for Azusa to come down. Azusa felt some of the ache in his chest ease, though he found Ema's welcoming smile less comforting than Tsubaki's.

His relationship with Tsubaki was the most important thing in the world to him. He didn't want anything to come between them. As he joined them, Azusa hoped he was being ridiculous and that nothing was really changing between any of the three of them.

~.~

"Do you mind if I join you?" Ema asked, Kaname, standing next to him on the beach that night. "Or would you like to be alone?"

Kaname smiled up at Ema and patted the ground next to him. "I never say no to a pretty lady. Take a seat."

"Thanks," Ema said, dropping down. She wrapped her arms around her knees as she watched the stars appear over the ocean and listened to the waves. It was peaceful here and she hoped to be able to come out to the beach house again sometime.

They sat in silence until Ema asked, "How did you decide to be where you are now? I mean working as a monk."

Kaname raised an eyebrow at Ema. "Are you wanting to learn how to break into the host club business? I think you might break my heart if that's your goal."

Ema laughed and shook her head. "No, I'm just struggling to figure out what I should do with myself. People keep asking me what my plans are for when I finish high school and I don't know. I figured I would ask you how you decided what you wanted to do after."

"Not that I'm complaining, but why ask me? Masaomi and Ukyo are the responsible ones. They seem like the more natural choice to have a conversation about your future with."

Ema sighed. "They're too serious about it," she confessed. "It stresses me out. So many of the Asahina brothers have asked me what I'm going to do after high school." She knew it was natural for them to ask, but for every one of the brothers who'd asked, she felt like they were hoping for a particular answer. She didn't know what that particular answer was, nor if it was the one she wanted to give. She looked at Kaname. "You're one of the few who hasn't asked me. I don't feel any pressure talking to you about it."

"I'm happy to hear you don't feel any pressure from me," Kaname said, patting Ema's hand. "Don't ever let anyone pressure you into making a decision you're not ready for. If you need to, just walk away." He shrugged. "But I'm still not sure I'm the best person for you to talk about making future choices with. I would think you'd figured out from my brothers' comments about me that I just do whatever I want. I chose a job that lets me play around. My decision to become a monk wasn't really a serious one."

Ema knew Ukyo complained that Kaname's shrine was really just a host club in disguise.

"Are you sure playing around was the only reason?" Ema asked, tilting her head as she studied Kaname. "You and I just recently had a conversation about how caring you are with your brothers. I have a hard time believing that your caring side doesn't extend to people outside your family. What all do you do at your shrine?"

"Why don't you come and see for yourself?"

~.~

The words were out of Kaname's mouth before he thought about it. It was almost a reflex. The thought of inviting Ema to the shrine hadn't occurred to him before now, but they did have a fireworks event coming up. "Our New Year's event is pretty spectacular. There will be lots of booths with food and a fireworks show as well."

"Okay," Ema agreed, looking surprised, then her face lit up. "We can invite everyone else too!"

Kaname chuckled. "It's always on your mind to include everyone, isn't it? It's almost like you're our older sister working to keep the family close together."

Ema blushed. "It just more fun if we have everyone, don't you think?"

"I do enjoy spending time with family," Kaname admitted. "But did it cross your mind that it might be rude to invite other people when a man gives you an invitation?"

"Why?" Ema asked. "It's not like it's a date. And you still haven't answered my question about how you ended up where you are now."

Kaname had to laugh at Ema's frankness. He felt a little pity for the man who fell in love with her.

He had mostly told Ema the truth about why he became a monk at the shrine. It had been a friend of his from high school who had invited him to apply at the shrine, assuring him that he'd get to meet lots of cute girls. What better job to have then one where you were surrounded by women who wanted your attention? He _had_ decided to work at the shrine to play around, but he hadn't originally intended to work there for more than a few months. He agreed with Ukyo that it wasn't a real job, so he'd only planned to work for a little spending money as he figured out what he really wanted to do.

However, the job had turned out to be more than just spending time with pretty women. There were people who came to the shrine who were in real anguish seeking solace. Kaname liked being able to help them, and so he had stayed. The pretty women were a nice perk too, of course.

He found himself not wanting to tell Ema the whole story. She seemed to have a higher opinion of him than most of his brothers and he didn't want to spoil that. He liked having the little girl who'd always visited them as a child admire him now that she was growing into a kind and lovely young woman.

"All right, you caught me," he told her. "I only joined the shrine because a friend invited me and I didn't know what else to do with myself at the time. Figuring out your future is a huge and intimidating decision. I wanted some time to figure out what I wanted, so I said yes. I found out that I could help people who really needed it at the shrine. It _does_ resemble a host club far more than a real shrine, but I'm still able to do some good. I enjoyed that, so I stayed, but it's still not what I plan to do forever."

He bumped Ema's shoulder with his own. "Remember that any decisions you make right now don't have to be forever decisions. You can always change your mind later."

Ema smiled. "Thank you, Kaname. That does make me feel better." She bumped his shoulder back. "See? You were a good person to talk to about my future. Maybe it's all that practice from helping people at the shrine."

Kaname shook his head at Ema. "Careful, Ema. Hearing compliments from a beautiful woman can be a heady thing. You shouldn't hand them out so carelessly."

Ema smiled and stood. "I don't need to worry about that with you, Kaname. I've seen the women you go out with and I'm not nearly as pretty."

Kaname was so shocked at Ema's words, he almost let her walk away without saying anything. Luckily, he recovered himself in time and gripped her hand. She looked back at him questioningly.

"There are many types of beauty, Ema," he told her seriously. "The women I go out with are very outwardly beautiful, but inside…" He shrugged. "Let's just say they tend to be more concerned with their outside selves than their inside selves. You?" He squeezed her hand. "You _are_ lovely on the outside and your kind personality makes you shine that much brighter. The women I go out with don't compare to that."

Ema gave him a shy, rueful smile he didn't think he'd seen from her before. "Thank you, Kaname," she quietly before squeezing his hand back and returning to the house.

He watched her go, wondering if she'd believed him and what had been done to her that made it so she didn't seem to believe in her own beauty and worth. She had insinuated so casually that a guy like him wouldn't have any interest in a girl like her. He didn't like that one bit.

~.~

"Here, Fuuto, would you like some?" Ema asked, holding a dessert out to him. He was sitting on the beach house porch under a patio umbrella doing homework. Iori had been with him, but Ema wasn't sure where he'd gone. "It's flavored ice."

"Sure," Fuuto agreed, taking the bowl from her. He looked her up and down as he did so. "You know, you look surprisingly good in a swim suit. It must be all that hiking you do. I admit that I'm impressed."

Ema flushed in embarrassment and anger. Tsubaki and Kaname had also told her she looked good in her swim suit, but it was very different coming from them than from Fuuto. How did he manage to turn every compliment he gave her into an insult?

"Since you don't think I'm pretty to begin with, why would you even bother looking at me in swim suit?" She demanded, placing her hands on her hips. "Aren't you surrounded by enough pretty girls in at your job?" Sometimes, she hated how polite she was. There had been no need whatsoever for her to offer Fuuto the dessert she'd made for everyone else. Sadly, after being left out so many times in foreign countries around the world, she hated to do the same thing to anyone else. Even Fuuto.

Fuuto looked surprised. "Did I ever say you weren't pretty?"

Ema opened her mouth to retort that, of course, he had, but paused. _Had_ Fuuto said that to her? He seemed to have insulted pretty much everything else about her. It seemed hard to believe he hadn't at least insinuated it at some point. However, nothing came to Ema's mind.

Fuuto adopted a wounded look. "You shouldn't accuse me of saying things I haven't. I would never tell a pretty girl she's ugly."

Ema folded her arms and scowled. "Well, you've given me plenty of other insults. Is it a surprise I thought that one was among them?"

Was it Ema's imagination, or had Fuuto winced?

"I just needed time to get used to you living with us, that's all," Fuuto said. "I wasn't even part of the discussion about you moving in with us. Can you blame me for struggling to adapt?" She could when she'd done everything within her power not to be a bother to him and he'd still gone out of his way to be rude to her. "I can admit when I was wrong. The cooking in the house has improved since you arrived, and it's nice to come home to a pretty face instead of just my idiot brothers." He smiled.

Suddenly, a picture of Carlos flashed through Ema's mind. He had Fuuto had a few similarities. They were both good looking and so sure that if they flashed their charming smiles and said a few complimentary words, any girl would fall at their feet. But Ema wasn't fourteen anymore.

"I see," Ema said, putting one hand on the patio table and leaning on it. "You're in disbelief that there's a girl out there who _isn't_ attracted to you. I've made it clear I'm not interested, so now you have to prove to yourself that you _can_ get any girl to be interested in you. That's what's behind your sudden change in attitude."

Fuuto looked surprised before turning angry. "Hardly. My ego isn't so poor that I think less of myself just because one girl isn't falling down at my feet. What's wrong with you that you can't accept one compliment from a guy without attacking him? No wonder you don't have a boyfriend."

Ema jerked away from the table, about to shoot something back when a gentle hand landed on her shoulder.

"Is there a problem?" Iori asked.

Fuuto rolled his eyes, going back to his homework. "No, everything's fine."

Iori pulled Ema back a little and asked, "Are you all right?"

Ema let out a slow breath before giving Iori a tight smile. "Yes, I'm okay. I just need to do better at not letting myself be bated."

Iori kept his hand on Ema's shoulder as he gave his younger brother an unhappy look. Fuuto pretended like they weren't there. "You know that if anyone is bothering you or if you have any problems you can talk to me about it, right?"

Ema smiled, more genuinely this time. "Yes, I do. Thank you, Iori."

"Good," Iori said before dropping his hand. He gave Fuuto one more unhappy look before joining him again.

Trying to shake off her exchange with Fuuto, Ema went inside to grab another bowl of flavored ice.

"Azusa, would you like some flavored ice?" She asked him. He was sitting on the living room couch, probably waiting for Tsubaki. "It's blueberry coconut." She knew it was one of his favorite lavors.

"No thanks," Azusa said, barely glancing at her to give her a fleeting smile.

Ema paused, unsure of what to do next. She had been so sure Azusa would say yes. He and Masaomi had just been talking about how nice it would be to have a frozen treat in the hot sun, which was why Ema had gone to make the flavored ice. Why had Azusa changed his mind so fast? Was he just not in the mood for blueberry coconut?

"I'll take it," Tsubaki said, appearing behind Ema. He wrapped one arm around her waist and kissed her cheek as he took the bowl. "You are an angel, Ema. Thank you."

"Sure," Ema said distractedly.

"We're going out to the boat," Tsubaki told her. "Do you want to join us?"

Ema glanced at Azusa. "No, thank you. I still have a few more desserts to make."

"Okay. We'll see you at dinner." Tsubaki waved as he and Azusa left.

Ema still stood there, wondering if she had any reason to feel hurt or if it was her imagination. This was the second time she'd felt that Azusa wasn't happy to see her. Refusing the dessert someone made didn't mean you were upset at the person…but this was the second time within a week Ema had gotten the sense that Azusa wasn't happy to be around her. What was going on?


	28. Realization

**Chapter 28: Realization**

"Do you any idea how long you've been on the computer for?" Juli asked. His tone clearly stated how unhappy he was with Chi, but she was oblivious.

"Do I ever?" Chi asked, not taking her eyes away from the screen. "I've had almost no time for Fantasia Dawning since I started voicing the anime and 2CatPresident is stronger than me now! I have to catch up to him. I also owe him because I promised him we'd go through the Cave of Thieves together, so that's what we're doing right now. He said he would have been worried that I'd been in a car accident or dropped off the face of the earth since I'd been gone so long, except he knows that I travel and sometimes don't have internet, so then I told him I don't travel anymore and have just been busy."

"You gave out personal information to some strange guy over the internet?!" Juli exclaimed, his fur standing on end. "How could you, Chi?" He ran to Chi's side to stare up at the screen, as though he could somehow undo what Chi had done. "Didn't your father and I do enough to teach you about internet safety?"

"Relax, Juli, all I did was tell him that I don't move around anymore. He doesn't even know I'm in Japan. You know, if you keep worrying all the time, you're going to lose your fur prematurely."

"No, I won't," Juli said, petting his fur defensively. "Now that we live with Louis, he gives me hair treatments and takes good care of it for me."

"Oh, is that it's been so silky lately?" Chi asked, eyes still on the game.

"You noticed?" Juli said, perking up and preening, despite not having a captive audience. "Doesn't it look great?"

"Mmhm," Chi agreed.

Juli deflated upon realizing he still didn't have Chi's attention. Oh well. At least she'd noticed the change in his fur. He could at least be happy about that.

"How long to plan to play for?"

"Until Tsubaki gets back."

Juli narrowed his eyes. "Why? What are you waiting for Tsubaki for? And what if you beat the Thieves Cave thing before then?" He understood that Chi loved gaming, and he was happy that she was enjoying her job, despite how much time it meant she spent with the twins, but couldn't she see how little time she spent with Juli these days? True, they often talked before Ema went to bed and he was grateful for that wolf-free time they had most days, but it would be nice to actually go out with Chi and do something.

"If we beat the Cave of Thieves first, then I need to power up on my own. I told you that 2CatPresident had gotten stronger than me while I've been away from the game. And I'm waiting for Tsubaki to hear the results of his audition today. Didn't you hear that he was trying out for the role of the hero in the anime that inspired him to become a voice actor in the first place? They're redoing the anime and it's all he's talked about all week."

"So, I guess you plan to celebrate when he gets home and go out to dinner or something," Juli said, crossing his arms and pouting.

"Yep," Chi agreed, still oblivious to the state of her constant companion.

~.~

"Well, you're wrong," Azusa said before hanging up his cell phone in a huff.

"Azusa?" Ema's voice said tentatively from behind him. "Is something wrong?"

Azusa glanced at her, then back at the front gates to the mansion, hoping to see Tsubaki. His nerves weren't up to dealing with Ema right then. "No," he said, trying to keep his anger out of his voice. It wasn't Ema's fault that the director of the anime was an idiot. "There was just some confusion at the audition for the anime today."

"What happened?" Ema asked. "Is Tsubaki home yet? I was surprised I hadn't heard from him yet, so I came looking."

"No, Tsubaki's not back yet," Azusa said, knowing he was being abrupt, but unable to help himself. What happened at the anime was a disaster that he refused to accept and he didn't have the patience to deal with anything else at the moment. He'd just gotten off the phone from telling his agent that Tsubaki was right one to play the hero and _not_ him.

"Is Tsubaki not back yet because of the confusion at the audition?" Ema asked, trying to catch Azusa's eye. "Is he still there?"

Again, Azusa had to tamp down on his irritation. It wasn't Ema's fault, but it was difficult not to snap at her when she was a convenient target and he was already on edge around her. She was a threat to his and Tsubaki's relationship, which was why he'd pulled away from her. He didn't want anything to jeopardize relationship with his twin, and then this happened with the stupid anime. The last thing he needed was to combine the anime and Ema, but it appeared she had no plans of going away until he answered her question.

"Yes and no," he sighed. "Yes, Tsubaki isn't here because of the confusion. No, Tsubaki isn't still at the audition. The director chose me to voice the hero and Tsubaki to voice his rival."

Ema looked uncertain. "That doesn't sound like a confusion," she said slowly.

"Of course, it is," Azusa said, finally snapping. "The only one who can play the role of the hero is Tsubaki. The director screwed up in casting me. I didn't try out for the lead role, I read for the rival, which is who I was supposed to be." He shook his head and pulled his phone out. "Since my manager won't do what needs to be done, _I'll_ call the director and refuse the part, then Tsubaki will get it."

He was surprised when Ema laid her hand on his to stop him. "I don't think that decision is up to you," she told him, her eyes clear as she stared up at him.

Azusa glared at her and she flinched, removing her hand. "You don't understand how much Tsubaki loves this anime and how much this role influenced him. Of course, he's the best one for the role."

"Isn't it the job of the director to decide who's best for the role?" Ema asked. "That's why they're the director. They choose which people to hire and where to put them to make the anime the best success they can make it. The director chose you for the lead and Tsubaki for the rival because he feels that's the best way the anime will work. You both have amazing voices, but they're both suited to different roles at different times."

"Don't talk like you understand it just because you've voiced one character," Azusa yelled.

Ema flinched again, but fisted her hands and took a step forward. "The director chooses the lead, not you. Since he's already cast Tsubaki in the role of the rival, he might keep him there even if you refuse the role. And what if Tsubaki _did_ get the role because you refused it? How do you think that would make him feel? Do you think he would feel like he deserved it? Like he was the best one for the role then?"

Azusa was surprised into being quiet. He didn't think he'd ever heard Ema raise her voice.

"I understand that you don't want Tsubaki to be upset or hurt, but what do you think it would do to your relationship for you to hand him a job that was yours? You don't think that would hurt his pride? And aren't you a professional? This is your _job_ , not a hobby. You think my dad wants to go everywhere the TV show sent him? You think he wants to do everything they have him do? No! But it is his _job,_ so he does as he is asked because he is a professional."

"She's right on both accounts, you know," Tsubaki said, making both Ema and Azusa jump.

They turned to see him wearing a coat to ward off the cold night air, his hands stuck in his pockets. "I haven't been wandering around feeling sorry for myself, you know. I've been wandering around trying to figure out how to make you accept the role because I knew you would react like this. I appreciate it, bro, but it's like Ema said. You have an amazing voice and the director chose you for that reason. I _want_ to hear you voice this character. I know you'll do it justice and I'm excited to see what you'll do. And even if I did get the role if you refused it, there would always be a voice in the back of my mind telling me that you were really the one chosen and that I was just second best."

Azusa flushed. He hadn't considered that at all…but Ema had. He was such an idiot. Both for not thinking more about how Tsubaki would feel in this situation and for how he'd been treating Ema. These past couple weeks he'd been afraid of what Ema's presence would do to his and Tsubaki's relationship since they both seemed to be developing feelings for her, and while that might still be a concern, the twins' relationship with each other was clearly important to Ema. If anything happened between the three of them that lead to conflict, Ema's first priority would be to make sure the twins' relationship was okay. Azusa should have known Ema well enough to know that.

"I'm sorry," Azusa said, not sure who he was speaking to.

"It's all right, bro," Tsubaki said, drawing Azusa into a hug. "It'll be great with us playing rivals. We'll do an amazing job and make the remake an even bigger success than the original anime. And I'll be okay, all right?"

"Okay." Azusa nodded, pulling back from his brother. "I'm sorry," he apologized again.

"Don't worry about it," Tsubaki said, smiling and putting his hand on Azusa's shoulder. "But, I'm going to steal Ema and take another walk, okay?"

"Okay," Azusa agreed, his heart constricting, but he knew he had no right to be jealous in that moment, not with what Tsubaki was dealing with and not after how he'd treated Ema. His gaze jumped to her, but her curious and concerned gaze was on Tsubaki. What was she thinking of the conversation she and Azusa had just had? Was she mad that he'd yelled at her? Had she realized before now that he'd been pulling away from her?

He was hoping Ema would look at him so he could apologize to her, but Tsubaki linked his arm through hers and drew her through the gate. If Azusa was lucky, Ema would be as magnanimous as she always was and chalk up his terrible behavior to him just being concerned over Tsubaki. But that didn't mean that he still didn't owe her an apology.

~.~

Ema and Tsubaki walked the streets in silence, Tsubaki's arm through Ema's. Ema didn't have a proper coat on for a walk outside since she'd only gone out to check if Tsubaki was home yet, but Ema said nothing. Though she was sure everything that Tsubaki had said to Azusa was true, that didn't mean Tsubaki still wasn't sad.

"Are you okay, Tsubaki?" Ema finally asked, looking up at him.

He smiled down at her, though it was a sad smile. "I will be," he told her, gripping her arm tighter. "I just wanted a little more time, though I already had enough time all by myself on my walk earlier, so I wanted your company this time."

Suddenly, he leaned down and kissed her head. "You're amazing, you know that?"

"Why?" Ema asked. "What did I do?"

"Said all the things I wanted to say to Azusa. I think it meant more with him hearing it from both of us. If he'd only heard it from just one of us, I don't think he would have believed it." He grinned. "And the fact that we wanted to say the same words means we're on the same wave length. We understand each other. Or, at least, you understand me." He kissed her head again. "I'm so glad you're with us, Ema. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"I'm sure you'd be fine," Ema said, blushing and looking down the street.

"Right," Tsubaki agreed. "We'd be _fine,_ but not _great._ Who wants to live their life feeling fine? I want to be great. All the time."

"I'm sure you are, Tsubaki," Ema said, amused. "You've always been the liveliest person I know. I can't imagine you ever being anything but great. It's who you are. You don't let anything keep you down for long."

Tsubaki made a noncommittal noise. "It's true that I am who I am no matter what, but there are people you let you be more of yourself, you know? A better version of who you are."

Ema nodded slowly. That was something she'd been lacking when she'd been mostly alone all those years. Being around the Asahinas, who were like family to her…she was definitely able to be more than when she just traveled with her father. She was able to discover more of herself and her talents. Who would have ever thought she could be a voice actor, even if she only did it this once?

"I know what you mean," she said. "Without you, I never would have discovered that I could do something like voice acting. It's been amazing to see that I can work this hard and learn a new skill and overcome challenges with it." She hugged his arm. "I'm so glad I'm with you too, Tsubaki."

He smiled, taking his hand out of his pocket to cover hers. Then his eyes widened. "Your hands are freezing, Ema! I'm sorry." He finally took note of what she was wearing. "Crap, you're not dressed for walking in the cold. I didn't even think of that."

"It's fine," Ema waved off. "I'm glad you brought me with you to keep you company. I don't want you to be alone if you don't want to be alone."

Keeping hold of Ema's hand, Tsubaki tucked it into his pocket. "Come on, I'll buy you some hot chocolate so you can warm up, and then we'll go home."

~.~

The next night, Ema blew out a breath as she stood outside Azusa's room. She needed to clear this up. If there was something she'd done to upset Azusa, she needed to find out what it was and apologize if Azusa would accept it. She was pretty sure that it must have been when they disappointed Director Agota with their kiss. Azusa had seemed okay with it at the time, but it was shortly after that he started treating her differently, and she couldn't think of anything else she might have done that could have upset him.

Who would have thought she'd be standing outside Azusa's door with almost as much reluctance as she stood outside Fuuto's?

She was about to knock when the door opened and she jumped back in surprise. Azusa also looked startled to see her there.

"Sorry, Ema," he apologized. "I didn't mean to scare you." Seeing how close she stood to his door, he stopped. "Were you—did you need something?"

Ema bit her lip. She didn't think it mattered if you were a kid, a teen, or an adult, apologizing was still a hard and scary thing. "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Sure," Azusa said, stepping back into his room and holding the door open for Ema.

Azusa closed the door and Ema's words came bursting out. "I'm really sorry that Director Agota got upset with you because of me, Azusa. It was all my fault that the scene didn't work right and—"

"Ema, what are you talking about?" Azusa interrupted. "Why are you apologizing for that? Everything turned out really well. That episode has the highest views and ratings from all the episodes in the anime. Why is that still bothering you?"

"Well if it's not that, then why are you mad at me?" Ema asked, clutching one arm with her opposite hand. She felt so small standing in front of Azusa. She hated feeling like she wasn't enough. It had happened with so many groups she'd tried to break into, but something about her had always been not enough. She was too foreign. She didn't speak the native language well enough. She wasn't into the same things. Feeling like this in Japan, within the Asahina household, was five times worse.

"At first, I thought it was just my imagination that you were upset with me, but it kept happening. What did I do to upset you, Azusa? Whatever it is, I'm sorry."

Azusa closed his eyes, a pained expression coming over his face. "No, Ema, I'm the one who needs to apologize. There were…things going on that confused me and it led to me being rude to you, but the problem was entirely with me and not you. You did absolutely nothing wrong. You've never done anything wrong." He looked into Ema's eyes as he said, "I'm really, really sorry for any hurt I caused you, Ema. I know I was a jerk and I'm sorry. And I'm sorry I snapped at you yesterday when you were just trying to help me and Tsubaki."

Ema didn't know what to say. She didn't understand how him being confused about something would lead to him being rude to her. Of course, people had things happen in their lives that tried them and made them short with the people around them, but Azusa hadn't been short with other people. He'd specified that it had made him rude to _her_. Why just her? How could it not involve her with that being the case? Was she a convenient target for his anger because he hadn't wanted to hurt anyone in his family and she was the nearest person who wasn't related to him? That didn't sound like Azusa, but what else could it be?

She believed him when he said he regretted being rude to her, but if she'd judged the situation correctly, that Azusa wanted a convenient target for his anger that wasn't family, then it would just happen again. How could she be friends with someone who treated her like that?

"Are we okay, Ema?" Azusa asked. "I've got it worked out now and I promise it won't happen again."

"Sure," Ema said, because nothing else was really acceptable to say in that moment. "I'm going to go to bed now, okay?" She didn't look at Azusa as she headed for the door. Azusa's treatment of her had been painful enough when she believed she might have done something to upset him. But if he had caused her pain over something that really had nothing to do with her…she didn't know what to think of that. Maybe Fuuto wasn't as different from all his brothers as Ema had thought.

"Ema?" Azusa stopped Ema, grabbing her arm as she went past him. "Are you sure you're all right?"

Ema smiled and hoped it was believable. "Sure. I'm just really tired. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay," Azusa said, looking uncertain and concerned as he released Ema's arm. "Good night, Ema."

"'Night." Ema didn't look back as she left.

 **A/N:** Mwuhahah! I have no idea where the plotline of Azusa resenting Ema's intrusion into his and Tsubaki's relationship came from, but it's fun to do something different. Though misunderstandings that cause hurt feelings drive me crazy. Hopefully, they'll get this cleared up soon!


	29. New Year Festival

**Chapter 29 New Year Festival**

"Hey, welcome, you guys!" Kaname called and waved to his family and Ema. "I'm glad you made it. Was it terrible getting here?"

"Traffic was abominable," Ukyo said. "You should have told us to leave earlier."

"Ema, you look so cute in your kimono!" Kaname complimented, ignoring Ukyo. "And your hair looks great. Louis' work?"

"Ah, yes," Ema said, putting a hand to her hair. It was in an updo that was probably fancier than anything Ema had ever done before. "Louis couldn't make it tonight since he already had plans with his coworkers, but he still wanted to do my hair."

"You are a flower among flowers, my dear," he told, taking her hand and kissing it.

"Don't act like she's one of your customers," Ukyo said, smacking the back of Kaname's head.

"But she is a customer today," Kaname argued, wincing as he rubbed his head. "And it's true. I don't tell lies, you know. Especially not when wearing my monk robes."

Ukyo rolled his eyes and muttered something about fake monks.

"I want some candy!" Wataru exclaimed, bursting between the two of them. "Look, Masaomi. There's cotton candy, and snow cones, and—"

"All right, Wataru," Masaomi interrupted. "Pace yourself with the sweets, okay? We wouldn't want you to get sick."

"Aww," Wataru complained, then looked to Ema. "What treat do you want to try first?"

"Me?" Ema asked, surprised. "Whatever you want, Wataru."

Wataru folded his arms and shook his head. "Kaname says that real men let women have the first choice, so you should decide first."

"Does he now?" Ema asked, giving Kaname an amused glance and wondering what kind of conversation had happened between Kaname and Wataru that he'd said. "Well, that's very gentlemanly of you, Wataru. We don't we get some shaved ice first?"

"I'll see you guys in a little bit," Kaname said, starting to walk away. "I've got an appointment right now, but I'll have some free time later. Enjoy yourselves, okay?"

"Let's go!" Wataru said, grabbing Ema's hand and pulling her to the shaved ice booth.

Ema was about to pull out her wallet when Masaomi stopped her. "You're our guest here tonight," he told her. "And I don't expect you to pay for shaved ice because Wataru wanted you to get some."

"I can pay for it," she argued. Her father sent her some money every month and she currently had a job. "And I wanted to come."

"Yes, but Kaname was the one who invited you," Masaomi argued. "And we're the ones who brought you." He smiled at her, the same gentle smile he gave to Wataru. "I don't want to hear any arguments about money tonight, all right?"

Something about the way Masaomi looked and talked to her made Ema feel like she was there as part of the family. She smiled back shyly. "Okay."

"And if you want any souvenirs, let me know and I'll get them for you," Tsubaki said, slinging an arm around Ema's shoulders.

"We're kind of a big group to wander around together in this crowd," Masaomi said, looking around. "I'm afraid we might get unintentionally separated or lose one of us. How about we split into two groups, and then meet up again once Kaname is available to spend some time with us?"

"Okay," Tsubaki agreed, his eye going to Ema. "I—"

"I call Ema and Masaomi in my group!" Wataru exclaimed, interrupting Tsubaki as he latched onto Ema's and Masaomi's arms. "You three can be the other group," Wataru said, looking at the twins and Ukyo.

Ukyo frowned, unhappy to not be in the same group as Ema, but unwilling to say anything.

"Why should you get to be with Ema?" Tsubaki asked, crossing his arms and trying to stare his little brother down. "All you want to do is eat sweets. We actually want to do fun stuff."

"I want to do fun stuff too!" Wataru declared. "And you and Azusa get to spend time with Ema all the time. You two have her all to yourself at work and when you go out to dinner. It's mine and Masaomi's turn to be with her. We want to spend time with her too, right, Masaomi?" He turned to look at his oldest brother.

"I think it would be lovely to spend some time with the two of you," Masaomi said, then gave Tsubaki a chastising stare. "You do get to spend a great deal of time with Ema. You shouldn't begrudge someone else in the family spending time with her. Unless you, Ema, would like the groups to be arranged differently?"

"Me?" Ema was surprised at being asked suddenly. "No, I'm fine. I would love to walk around the festival with you and Wataru." She smiled at the other three. "And we can spend some time together later when Kaname joins us."

"Fine," Tsubaki sighed. "I guess that's fair."

"Come along, you two," Ukyo said, ushering the twins away. "If there's so much you'd like to do, Tsubaki, we'd better get started." Ukyo was quite sure he was far more disappointed than Tsubaki about the how the groups had turned out. The only reason he'd come to this ridiculous shrine was because he'd wanted to spend time with Ema, but he could hardly begrudge his youngest brother wanting to spend time with her too. At least she wouldn't be with the twins. He didn't have to worry about anything happening with Masaomi by Ema's side.

~.~

"Are you sure you don't mind being with us?" Masaomi asked Ema quietly as they watched Wataru play a fishing game at one of the booths. "I'd hate to take you away from anything you'd like to do here tonight."

Ema shook her head. "The only think I really want to do is watch the fireworks with everyone. I don't much care what else we do. Besides, it's fun to be with kids at events like this." She smiled as Wataru pouted in frustration at not being able to win the game. "I'm sure it would have been fun to wander around the festival with Tsubaki and Azusa, but I'm just as happy to be here with the two of you. Like Wataru said, I haven't been able to spend much time with either of you lately."

Masaomi smiled. "Well, we're very happy to have you with us. Let me know if anything catches your eye that you would like to try."

Masaomi and Ema trailed behind Wataru as he jumped from booth to booth, frequently taking both their hands to excitedly bring them along.

Wataru was trying out another game when a group of giggling young women in kimonos walked behind Ema and Masaomi. "Don't you think marrying a doctor would be the best?" One of the girls asked.

"A doctor or a lawyer!" Another chimed in. "Then they're smart _and_ loaded." She sighed. "But how are you supposed to find them other than by being sick or pretending to be in legal trouble?"

"You could always became a nurse or a legal secretary!" Giggled a third.

Ema turned her head to watch the women walk away. "Have you ever had that, Masaomi?" Ema asked. "Someone wanting to date you because you're a doctor?"

She turned to look at him and was surprised to find him blushing.

"I—well, I…I guess maybe a little, but as pediatrician, most of the women I meet are the mothers of my patients, but people like that…" He looked in the direction the women had gone and shook his head. "I think that's a poor reason to choose a spouse. There are many things that matter more than that."

"Absolutely," Ema agreed whole-heartedly. "Like choosing a man who is kind, reliable, and loves children." She paused. "Like you, Masaomi."

Masaomi sputtered a little as his face turned a deeper shade of red. Ema couldn't help her giggle, though decided that was enough teasing. "Sorry, Masaomi. Any girl who wanted to date you only because you're a doctor would be a fool, but you _are_ a wonderful man and I think you would make an amazing father. You're like a father to Wataru and he adores you."

"Well, that's very kind of you to say," Masaomi said, scratching the back of his head as he stared at the ground. His gaze moved to Wataru and he smiled. "But I don't think dating is something I'll do for a while yet. With our father gone and our mother rarely home, I want to provide Wataru with all the support he needs. Since he's my first priority, I don't have any room for a woman in my life right now."

Ema was stunned at Masaomi's words. Though she'd never heard Masaomi talk about women, she'd still wondered if he had a girlfriend. She never would have guessed that Masaomi had a reason like that for not dating.

"That's amazing," Ema said sincerely, an ache in her chest. She wished she'd had a family member that devoted to her. Not that her father didn't love her, but it had been difficult the years she lived in Japan and he'd traveled. Having the Asahina brothers in her life had saved her a great deal of pain and loneliness as a child, but she'd still had to go home to an empty apartment and get herself ready in the morning from a young age.

And even when she traveled with her father, there had still been plenty of nights she'd spent alone. It just hadn't been for weeks on end like before. "Wataru and the rest of your brothers are very lucky to have you, Masaomi."

"You think so?" he asked. "I don't think I'm doing anything terribly special. I'm just being a responsible older brother is all."

Ema shook her head. "You go above and beyond that, Masaomi. By a lot. Being responsible is making sure your brothers have food and clothes and get their homework and chores done. What you do is a kindness that I think few people choose to be capable of."

Suddenly, images of Carlos and Erik popped into Ema's head. It had been a while since she'd thought of them and she was grateful for that. There was a world of difference between those two and Masaomi. She gave Masaomi a considering look as she realized dating a guy like him would be a good way to go. For the first time in a long time, the idea of dating didn't make Ema shudder inside.

"I think you overestimate me," Masaomi said, blushing. "I'm not as reliable as Ukyo, or good at helping my brothers with their troubles like Kaname."

Ema shook her head again. "It's hard to see ourselves in the best light sometimes. It's easier for others to see the good in us than for us to see it in ourselves. All we can see is how we're lacking, or how we're not good enough."

"I think you have some of that as well," Masaomi told her. "You don't seem to realize how much you do to help me and my brothers. At this point, I really don't know what we would do without you."

"Ema, Masaomi!" Wataru called, apparently having finished his latest game. "Let's go to the next one!" He waved for them to follow him.

Ema slipped her arm through Masaomi's and leaned her head against him as they walked. He looked down at her in surprise before smiling. He turned his attention back to Wataru, but shifted his arm to bring Ema a little closer to him.

~.~

"You guys ready for the fireworks?" Kaname asked.

"Yeah, yeah," Tsubaki said. "You sure have been building this up. It better be good."

Their two groups plus Kaname had reconvened for the firework show and were settling themselves on a free patch of grass in the field.

"Have you been enjoying yourself?" Kaname asked Ema.

She smiled. "Absolutely! I got to have all kinds of food tonight that I haven't had since I was a little girl, and Wataru won me this bear." She showed off the small stuffed animal Wataru had insisted on giving her when he finally won one of the games.

Kaname smiled at the small bear. "I'm happy to hear you've had a good time. I'm sorry I've been a terrible host and away from all of you all evening."

"Oye! Asahina!" A handsome man in monk's robes called. Of course, all the men in monk's robes were handsome. It was kind of the point of the shrine. "Ryusei says that everyone on the staff has to watch the firework show with customers, and that includes you. You can't spend work time with your family."

A crease appeared between Kaname's eyebrows as he frowned, then his eyes caught on Ema and lit up. "I'm not over here to be with my family. I'm over her to be with her." He caught Ema's arm and pulled her in front of him. "You know that I come from a family of all boys. This lovely lady here is a childhood friend and we haven't been able to spend New Year's together for the past eight years. That's why I invited her here tonight."

"Oh?" The monk said, studying Ema in a way that made her blush. "Lucky you, Asahina. I wish I had such a cute childhood friend."

"Yep," Tsubaki said, standing so he half-covered Ema from the monk's view. "Lucky us. Too bad we're not willing to share."

The monk ignored Tsubaki. "Well, Ryusei's word still stands that your time should be spent properly with a customer during the fireworks show."

"That's why Kaname came to get me," Ema said, gripping Kaname's arm in both of hers. "He was busy the rest of the evening, so I spent the time with his brothers. But now we're going to watch the fireworks together."

"Oh, I see." The man nodded his head at Kaname in a way that was almost a bow. "I apologize then."

As he left, Kaname turned to his brothers. "Well, you heard the man. There's special viewing places for the monks and customers. Looks like I'll have to take Ema there. Sorry for stealing her away suddenly, but rules are rules." Kaname guided Ema with one arm and waved to his brothers with the others as they protested Kaname taking Ema away.

"Sorry you almost got in trouble for trying to watch the fireworks with us," Ema apologized as they came to a building with a row of wooden platforms littered with deep cushions. There were walls on either side of each platform to provide privacy and a door at the back, though Ema couldn't tell where it led it. The platform provided a view above the crowd sitting on the grass.

"Don't worry about it," Kaname assured Ema. "This may not have been our plan, but at least we still get to watch the fireworks together. I would have been lonely if I'd had to watch them with a stranger." He lifted Ema's hand to kiss the back of it.

"You don't mind that I said I was your customer then?" Ema asked, wanting to make sure. She hadn't wanted Kaname to get into trouble, so had interfered without thinking about it.

Kaname smiled. "When have I ever objected to having a lovely lady on my arm?"

Ema's mouth twitched in an almost-frown that Kaname missed. "I know you're always nice to women and treat them gently, Kaname. It's part of who you are and part of your job, but you don't have to keep telling me I'm pretty."

Kaname gave Ema a sharp look and they were staring at each other rather than the sky when the first fireworks went off.

"Why do you not think you're pretty?" Kaname asked. "Where is this coming from?"

Ema held her arms out to the side in frustration. "From reality, maybe? I'm not saying I'm ugly, I certainly don't think that, but I know I'm average. I'm just realistic about my looks, Kaname." There was only one guy who'd told Ema she was pretty, who'd complimented her constantly on her looks. And he was a cheating, lying, jerk.

Kaname's jaw tightened. "That's not true, Ema, and I don't think you're being honest with me about the reason why."

Ema folded her arms, her position and face closed off. It hurt to hear a guy tell her she was pretty when she knew she wasn't. Not that she felt Kaname was like Carlos. He had several women in his life, but he was perfectly upfront about it. She'd heard a conversation between Kaname and one of his girlfriends before and they all knew they weren't Kaname's one and only. Some, if not most, of his girlfriends were probably customers he'd met at the shrine.

She looked up at the exploding fireworks, wishing they were with the rest of the Asahina brothers. If Kaname's coworker hadn't spotted him, they would all be having a great time together instead of the argument Ema and Kaname were having now.

Finally, Kaname sighed and shook his head before turning his gaze upward as well. "You're wrong, Ema," he said quietly. "But I'll drop this for now. I'm sorry for upsetting you." Kaname was sure there was a reason behind Ema feeling this way, but it was clear she didn't feel like opening up to him. He wished there was a way for him to make Ema see how pretty she was. Why did so many lovely girls have to be so insecure about their looks?


	30. Paparazzi

**Chapter 30: Paparazzi**

Ema tapped her foot against the leg of her chair as she stared at lines for the next episode. She was at a café indulging in some ice cream as she mentally rehearsed her lines. Now that Veeto had found Princess Neena and Zeeto again in the anime, there was no reason for Ema not to practice with both twins again. No reason except Ema's hurt feelings, anyway.

She didn't know how to interact with Azusa now, though she knew that was her own fault. Azusa was responsible for the awkwardness before, and now it was her. But how was she supposed to react? Was she supposed to be okay with Azusa being ornery with her because of something else in his life when he hadn't been ornery with anyone else?

Maybe he didn't really consider her a friend and only spent time with her because Ema and Tsubaki were close. Ema had always been closer with Tsubaki than Azusa. It hurt to think that, but maybe that was the case. Regardless, she wasn't in the mood to practice lines with Azusa and Tsubaki, so she'd claimed she had too much homework to practice with them tonight and would be studying at the library. She felt bad about her lie, but she felt much more relieved that she wasn't currently shut up in a room with Azusa.

"You look familiar," a voice close to Ema said. She looked up to see a guy in his late twenties smiling brightly at her.

Almost unconsciously, Ema gathered her things closer to her. "I don't think I know you." The only men in Japan above high school age that she knew were those among the Asahina brothers.

He laughed. "No, no, we haven't met before. That wasn't what I meant, just that your face looked familiar. Are you by chance Ema Hinata, the daughter of Rintaro Hinata?"

Ema paused, not wanting to answer. This was the first time someone had identified her as Rintaro's daughter since she'd moved back to Japan.

"I thought so," the guy said, flashing his bright smile again. He'd apparently taken Ema's silence as an affirmation. "I recognized you from some of the episodes of your father's show that you've been in. Do you mind if I take a seat?"

"Actually—" Ema began, looking down at the lines she needed to go over.

"Great, thanks," he said, interrupting Ema. She stared at him in surprise over how rude and forward he was being. He took out a notepad and pen.

"I'm a journalist," he explained. "And when I saw you, the daughter of the famous Rintaro Hinata, I simply couldn't pass up the opportunity to speak with you."

Ema withheld a sigh as she shoved her lines into her backpack. She had half a mind to walk out of the café without another word to the guy, but was worried that might reflect poorly on her father. She'd had plenty of people ask her questions about him before, she'd just hoped to avoid doing so in Japan. Maybe there was a polite way to extract herself from the conversation. "I'm not really involved with anything my dad's doing right now," she explained. "If you're wanting to know more about what where he is or where he's going next, you'll have to contact the studio."

"Oh, I know," the reporter said, leaning forward. Suddenly, his bright smile didn't look so bright. The edges were too curved and his eyes had changed. He looked more like a shark now. "I didn't come over here to ask about your dad's current whereabouts. I wanted to ask what it's like for your father to place his career before you and leave you behind."

He held his pen over his notepad like he actually expected Ema to respond, but she was too stunned to say anything.

"Well?" He asked, raising his eyebrows. "I'm not the only one who's noticed that you're no longer in any episodes of your father's show. People want to know what happened. Was it just too much of a burden to have you along? Or did he feel like you were holding him back?"

Ema's face flushed in humiliation and anger at the man's words.

"What happened is that some idiot writing for a trash magazine is trying to pass himself off as a real journalist."

Ema jumped, shocked to hear Fuuto's voice. She had to stare at him for several seconds before she actually believed he was there, but he stood next to where the journalist sat, his arms crossed as he stared down at the man.

The journalist looked Fuuto up and down, appearing unimpressed. He must not have recognized Fuuto, though maybe it was the sunglasses and hat he was wearing. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Sure, you do," Fuuto said. "You're one of the writers for that magazine that likes to print conspiracy theories and lies. If you want to call yourself a journalist, you have to write an article with real facts. Not that you know what those look like. Now why don't you leave the nice lady alone?"

The journalist stood up, his cheeks flushing. "What would you know about it?"

"I know because you're wrong about this situation, as usual. This girl isn't Ema Hinata, she's Ema Asahina, my sister. You surprised her because you know her first name. She was too shocked to do anything after that. She's not real good at responding to things on the fly. Besides, it's creepy for some old guy to come up to a teenage girl and know her name. Maybe you should think about that next time."

The man started sputtering, but looked hugely embarrassed as Fuuto grabbed Ema's backpack, took her arm, and led her away.

Ema was still stunned as Fuuto pulled her outside and down the street. She wasn't entirely convinced she wasn't in a very vivid dream.

"Well?" Fuuto said. "Aren't you going to thank me?"

With that, Ema realized this probably wasn't a dream.

"What if the journalist had recognized you?" Ema asked. "Your reputation of always being polite could have been ruined, or you might have started a rumor about us dating, or about your secret sister no one knows about." Ema was pretty sure no one knew anything about the family of the famed Fuuto Asakara. There was a reason Fuuto used a fake last name as an idol.

Fuuto snorted. "First, I've worn this disguise plenty of times and no one has figured out who I am. Second, didn't you hear what I said in there? That guy wasn't a journalist. He's a writer for a gossip magazine. And don't think too much of my interfering. I just happened to be walking by and really don't like that guy." He paused. "I know how annoying people like that can be. I've had to deal with enough of them."

"Well, thank you," Ema said, meaning it. Who knew Fuuto could actually do something nice?

Fuuto slowed his quick pace and finally let go of Ema's arm. She hadn't realized he'd still been holding it.

"You didn't buy anything that guy said about your dad, right?" Fuuto asked. "He wanted you with him. You're the one who decided you wanted to live in Japan."

"Right," Ema said quietly. While what Fuuto said was true, there had been plenty of people through the years who'd expressed their opinion that Ema was holding her dad's career back. It made the words of the gossip reporter hurt more. And her father had contacted her so little since she'd moved to Japan. It wasn't uncommon with him traveling around so much. They were on different schedules and he often didn't have access to phones or the internet…but it still hurt.

"What were you doing around there?" Ema asked to change the subject.

Fuuto shrugged. "I had a magazine interview today that was canceled, so I decided to walk around. What were you doing there? These days it seems like you're either doing homework with Yusuke, or practicing lines with Tsubaki and Azusa."

Ema shrugged awkwardly, not wanting to answer the question. Then, a crazy thought occurred to her. "Tsubaki and Azusa had to work later today, so I decided to go over my lines by myself somewhere a little quieter than at home." It was true that Tsubaki and Azusa would work a little later that day, but they would still be home in plenty of time for the three of them to practice together. "Since you have time right now, why don't you run lines with me while I practice? You can be Tsubaki's and Azusa's characters."

Fuuto gave her a disbelieving look over his sunglasses. "Seriously?"

"Why not?" She challenged. "It's a form of acting isn't? It's not in the same form that you want to do, but it's still an opportunity for you to practice acting. Your voice and tone are important parts of acting. And, a lot of big name actors in the United States do both types of acting."

Fuuto stopped walking to stare at her. Then, to her surprise, he shrugged and said, "Eh, why not."

~.~

"I think that's enough for today," Ema said, falling back on Fuuto's bed. She'd initially been uncomfortable when Fuuto had taken them to his room to rehearse, but he'd been nothing but professional in helping her, so she'd been able to relax after a while. "Thanks for helping me."

"That's two times I've helped you today, you know," Fuuto warned her. "I'm going to call those favors in one day."

"No, it's not," Ema argued. "The first time you helped me, but since you _want_ to be an actor, this was an exercise for you to practice your skills. That means _I_ helped _you_ , so we're even." She smiled pleasantly at Fuuto.

He looked stunned before shaking his head, a small smile on his face. "Fine, we'll call us even. This time."

Fuuto tossed the script Ema had given him onto the bed next to her. "The plot of your anime is stupid and sappy, but you're pretty good. I was watching your face for part of it, and I think maybe you should think about trying out for real acting some time."

Ema studied Fuuto's face, trying to gauge if he was being sarcastic, but he sounded serious. His voice often had an almost melodic quality when he was setting Ema up to insult her, and it hadn't this time.

"Um, thanks, but I'm not sure a career that would put me in the spotlight is for me. I kind of fell into doing this anime with Tsubaki and Azusa."

She gathered up both scripts and was about to leave when something occurred to her. At the beach house, Fuuto had made what could be considered a conciliatory gesture and she had shot him down. Based on today, it looked like Fuuto might have been sincere in the way he'd treated her. She winced remembering the way she'd responded.

"Is something wrong?" Fuuto asked.

Ema sighed. "Kind of. I'm used to you being a jerk." Fuuto gave Ema an irritated look, but she shrugged unrepentantly. "It's true. Anyway, you were nice at the beach house and I wasn't so nice back. I wanted to apologize for that. It's just…" Why did Ema feel the need to explain to Fuuto why she'd been so upset at him? She didn't owe him an explanation. Nor did he need to know what had happened in Ema's past. Still, if she genuinely wanted to be friends with and get along with _all_ the Asahinas…

"You reminded me of a guy I dated who was a jerk. He was so arrogant he believed he could not only get any girl to date him, but could get away with dating several girls at a time." She shrugged again, uncomfortable. "When you suddenly went from rude to nice, it reminded me of him, that's all. But I'm sorry for how I treated you."

Fuuto frowned at Ema. "I've got an ego, I'll grant you that, but any guy who does something like that is pathetic. If you really want something, whether it's a job or a girl or whatever, you need to reach out with your might and take it. If you're so pathetic and wishy washy that you can't decide what you want, including which girl you want to be with, you don't deserve to be with anyone."

"That…is an interesting perspective," Ema said. She wasn't quite certain what Fuuto meant, but she was pleased he didn't approve of what Carlos had done. She didn't know Fuuto well enough to know what he would have thought of a guy cheating on his girlfriend.

"Well, I'd better go help with dinner," Ema said. "Thanks again for your help." She hoped she and Fuuto would along better from now on.


	31. Rival

**A/N:** I'm a chapter ahead of where I thought I was, so there will definitely be at least one more posting this week. More if I can manage it with the time off :) Merry late Christmas to all who celebrate it!

 **Chapter 31: Rival**

"The new expansion pack in Fantasia Dawning is impressive," Natsume agreed as they sat at his table eating dinner. The anime Ema was working on was almost finished, so she finally had time to come test out a new game Natsume's company was working on. The two had played it all afternoon and found two glitches that would need fixing.

"It almost makes up for how terrible the last expansion pack was," Ema said. "Almost."

"It was pretty terrible," Natsume said. "It made it much harder to get through the Cave of Thieves."

"Right? I died several times because my new gear wouldn't do what it was supposed to. For a while there, I thought I'd lost my skills while spending so much time voice acting."

"Maybe we should work together some time," Natsume suggested. "It sounds like we're at about the same place."

"Oh." The word popped out of Ema's mouth before she could help it and she glanced down at her meal awkwardly. It was perfectly natural for Natsume to suggest they work together in Fantasia Dawning. They did so many other gaming things together. "Maybe we could for part of it, but I kind of have a partner and rival who I often work with in Fantasia Dawning. I met him near the beginning of when the game came out and we've been playing together for years."

As Ema expanded on her Fantasia Dawning partner, she grew more animated, obviously excited over this partner of hers. Natsume was disappointed Ema didn't want to work with him since he was sure they would make a great team, but, more than that, he found himself jealous of this mysterious gamer…but why?

He remembered Tsubaki asking him if he was jealous of all the time Ema was spending with him and Azusa and Natsume had answered honestly when he'd said no. So why was he jealous now? Was it just because he and Ema were such good gaming partners? Was that the only sense in which he was jealous, because she wanted to play with someone else…or could it be something more?

Ema was the only girl he'd met who was as passionate about video games as he was. And the only girl who loved hiking. Natsume wasn't as passionate about hiking as running, but he still greatly enjoyed it, and he'd been able to improve even faster in his running training thanks to his hikes with Ema. What were the chances of finding a girl who not only greatly enjoyed the two main things in your life, but also supported all your efforts in them?

~.~

"But we really need a game that would be a hit with both the male and female demographics," the vice president of production said. "Until you think up more elements that girls will like into that game, let's put that idea on the backburner."

Natsume was sitting in a production planning meeting. They were trying to decide which games were going to be their focus for development for the next three years.

"What about the zombie game with a female heroine we talked about?" Natsume asked. "We've put out some feelers to our target demographic, and the feedback has been positive from both guys and girls. Girls have expressed that a zombie game would be more interesting with a female lead and the aspects she would add to the game. And we've seen in the past that guys enjoy games with strong and attractive women."

The vice president nodded, looking interested. "Yes, that's right. I hadn't heard about what the feedback on that project idea had been. I'm glad to hear it's been positive. We would, however, need to find the right voice. Someone who could be strong, but also delicate. We want to show both sides for this heroine."

"I have someone in mind," Natsume said. Ema hadn't necessarily expressed interest in voicing the game, but she hadn't expressed any opposition to the idea either. With how excited she'd seemed about the game, Natsume imagined it would be fun for Ema to voice the character in a way she thought would appeal to gamers, and Ema would be a good judge of what that would be. "She's currently starring in an anime role with Tsubaki and Azusa, but the anime is almost finished. She also loves our products and zombie games, so she's familiar with the look and feel we like to bring to our games and has the added benefit of being part of our target audience. I think she would be able to provide valuable feedback." She already provided valuable feedback with the games still in production she tested for the company,

"The Asahina twins?" The vice president asked, raising his eyebrows. "That's an impressive achievement. And it makes me happy to hear she loves our games. That could add an interesting element to her performance. Would you arrange for her to do a reading for us? Now's not a good time, but in the next two or three months I'd like her to come in for a reading.

Natsume withheld his internal sigh. It wasn't, nor had it ever been, his job to bring people in for readings. Everyone seemed to forget that when it came to his triplets and, apparently, since he'd suggested Ema and Ema was tied to the triplets, the VP felt the same rule should apply here. "I'll talk to her about it," he promised.

~.~

"Hey, Asahina, when's the last time you went on a date?" Shin, Natsume's coworker asked. The whole department had gone out for drinks, but, with the way the conversation was turning, Natsume was starting to regret it.

"Since when do any of us have time to date?" Natsume asked. "Wasn't the last time you went out a blind date nearly two years ago?"

"Yeah, but you're not like the rest of us nerds," Shin joked. "You're actually in shape and attractive. Surely, you've had some interest from the opposite sex. You know the boss is requiring we bring a date to the launch party next month, right? They want the party to be really big to impress our American partners since they're coming."

"We were told to bring a _guest_ not a date," Natsume countered. Parties weren't generally Natsume's thing, but he'd known there was no way of getting out of this one with their American partners coming. Hearing that he had to find someone to bring had been a pain. He'd thought about inviting Azusa, but if Azusa came Tsubaki would come, and then he'd make himself the center of attention as he always did. Natsume didn't want to be responsible for his brother's behavior in front of his bosses.

"I know of a girl you can take," Sakura said. "You remember my friend Miako? She's come drinking with us a couple times and thinks you're pretty cute. Why don't I set the two of you up for that night?"

Natsume shook his head, hoping it wasn't too vigorous. He was aware Miako was physically interested in him, but, based off the few conversations that two of them had had, they had absolutely nothing in common. He didn't want to be stuck with someone he had no interest in flirting with him all night. Not to mention that it would send the wrong message to Miako for the two of them to go together.

"Thanks, but no. Did you not just hear me say that I don't have time to date?"

"But that's what's so great about this," Shin said. "Work is giving us an _excuse_ to go on a date, and they're paying for everything! What could be better?"

"Come on," Sakura cajoled. "Give Miako a chance. And you're so unsociable, who else are you going to take if not her? One of your brothers?"

"Actually, no," Natsume said, a thought occurring to him. While spending an evening with Miako sounded entirely unappealing, there _was_ a woman Natsume knew he would enjoy spending an evening with. She would probably come with him if he explained the situation, and she might find it interesting to see what a launch party for a video game was like. "I already have someone in mind. But," he hurried to add, "it's not a date. Just an old friend."

~.~

"So, what do you think of your first experience as a voice actor?" Azusa asked Ema. They had finished filming the anime earlier in the week and were having the wrap-up party.

"Oh, it was a lot of fun," Ema said, taking a step back. "I don't think it's a career I want to go into, but it was fun to try something new and I'm glad the anime turned out well. It sounds like it's doing well."

"It does," Azusa agreed. "Which is always nice to hear. You never know how an audience will receive a story or your performance. I'm glad it was a good experience for you, even if it's not something you're interested in continuing doing. Though if you change your mind, I don't think it would be too difficult for you to find directors willing to hire you. I'm sure Director Agota would be happy to work with you again."

"I hope I left a good impression," Ema said, glancing down at her phone. "It's kind of hot in here. I'm going to go get some water."

Ema was gone before Azusa could offer to get it for her. She paused to talk to a couple people along the way and spoke with them much longer than she had with him and his heart sank at the sight.

Ema had been different toward him lately. She had still been her normal, polite self, but it seemed she was making an effort to not be wherever Azusa was, or to be in his presence as little as possible. He'd hurt her. He'd been stupid and Ema's feelings had paid the price. And now he was also paying the price for his stupidity. It was no less than he deserved, but he desperately wanted to know how to fix it.

Obviously, his apology has been inadequate. The more selfish part of him admitted that he wasn't just upset that he'd hurt Ema. He was also upset that his chances with Ema didn't look good so long as Ema didn't want to be around him. He needed to do something that proved to her he was sorry for the way he'd treated her and wouldn't do it again. But what? It wasn't as though he could just explain what had happened to her. He couldn't tell her he was afraid of his feelings for her because he believed Tsubaki also had feelings for her and was afraid of his relationship with his twin being hurt.

He was wondering if he should ask Tsubaki for his advice when he saw Tsubaki and Ema having an animated conversation. Obviously, _their_ relationship was doing just fine. Tsubaki had continued to be more physical with Ema without Ema seeming to object. Azusa wondered if it was because she felt it was Tsubaki being Tsubaki, or if she had feelings for him. He couldn't help selfishly hoping it was the former.

"Hey, Azusa!" Tsubaki called, waving to him. "What are you doing over there by yourself? Come join us."

By the time Azusa got there, Ema was gone. Azusa wasn't surprised, but it still hurt. "Where did Ema go?"

"She just went to grab some dessert," Tsubaki said. "Why were you over there by yourself? You feeling okay?"

"Fine," Azusa said, sure Ema would come up with an excuse to go to talk to someone else after returning.

Tsubaki started a conversation with someone else and Azusa realized Ema had left her phone on a nearby table and had forgotten to lock it. Before the screen went dark, he was able to read the latest message from the person she was texting.

 _Hey, there's a launch party for our latest_

 _game that we partnered with the United_

 _States on. The boss wants it to be a big_

 _affair, so we're all supposed to bring someone_

 _with us. You interested in going? There's also_

 _something else I want to talk to you about._

 _Let me know._

Right before the screen turned black, Azusa caught who Ema was texting. Natsume.


	32. Launch Party

**A/N:** AmyFanfiction207 Thank you! That's sweet of you to say J For what I currently have planned, there's still quite a bit of story to go.

 **Chapter 32 Launch Party**

"Why are you inviting Ema to go to a launch party with you?" Azusa demanded over the phone. It had been a week since Azusa read the text Natsume had sent Ema. He'd been stewing and worrying over it ever since. Finally, he couldn't help himself and called his brother.

"Uh, hello to you to," Natsume grumbled. "Normally, Tsubaki is the one calling me and launching into conversations without a single greeting. What's got you so riled up?" He paused. "Does Ema seem uncomfortable that I asked her?"

Azusa ground his teeth together. The answer to that was a definite no. Ema hadn't been acting the slightest bit different during the past week, nor had she mentioned Natsume's invitation. At least, not to him she hadn't. Maybe she'd told some of his brothers about it. He hoped that since he hadn't heard a word, Ema had told Natsume no, but not knowing was driving him crazy. He couldn't ask Ema because he wasn't supposed to have seen the text, and because she wasn't really talking to him at the moment.

"No," Azusa admitted. "I just wanted to know why."

"Ema loves video games and she's really excited for this new one coming out. She helped test it for us while it was in development. I thought she might find it interesting to meet some of the people behind the creation of the game."

Azusa narrowed his eyes at his bedroom wall as he suddenly wished he was having this conversation with Natsume in person. He couldn't tell if Natsume was being sincere or if he was lying. Azusa's worry, of course, was that Natsume was developing feelings for Ema, but Natsume's excuse for inviting Ema sounded like a legitimate one. And Natsume wasn't one to pay much attention to the opposite sex. Of course, neither was Azusa, but what were the chances that all three of them would fall for the same girl? They might be triplets, but their tastes couldn't be that similar, could they?

"And that's all?" Azusa pressed. "You only invited her so she could meet people involved in making the game?"

There was silence on the other end, making Azusa's anxiety grow. Finally, Natsume asked, "What's this about, Azusa? Are you upset I asked Ema to come with me?"

It was Azusa's turn to be silent since he wasn't sure how to answer that question. He hadn't really thought through what his call to Natsume would entail other than finding out why Natsume had asked Ema to go and if she'd said yes.

"I just—" A memory from Ema's first day back in Japan popped into his head and he said, "Ema has made it very clear she has no interest in dating while she's attending high school. She's had some bad experiences with guys and wants to focus on school and living a normal life. I wasn't sure if you had heard and I just want to make sure everyone respects Ema's feelings." Azusa hadn't been present for that conversation, but Tsubaki had told him about it. Tsubaki had desperately wanted to know everything. When Ema first got a boyfriend, how long they'd dated for, what had happened. Azusa hadn't been overly interested in the details at the time, other than concern that Ema had been hurt, but now he cared.

This time, the silence felt surprised. "I hadn't heard anything about that. When did Ema get a boyfriend? What happened between them?"

"None of us know," Azusa said. Except, perhaps, Hikaru, but he certainly wouldn't tell anyone what he knew.

"Well, thanks for letting me know. I'll keep that in mind."

"Keep in mind how?" Azusa asked, irritation creeping into his voice. "Weren't you just saying you only asked Ema so she could meet the makers of the game?"

Natsume sighed. "I meant so that I didn't make the event seem like a date. Which it's not. Look, my manager demanded that everyone had to bring someone so we had a big crowd. They want to impress our American partners. I don't exactly have a lot of people on my social list to call, so I invited Ema. Though I do think she'd enjoy meeting the people who worked on the game, like I said."

"Oh." All of Azusa's irritation fled and he relaxed at Natsume's explanation. That scenario sounded entirely like Natsume. He was only bringing someone because he had to, not because he was interested in Ema. He was one of the least social, if not _the_ least social of the Asahinas, so it was no surprise. "Well, all right then. I'm glad you know now. I'll talk to you later, then." He ended the call. Only at that point did he realize he hadn't found out if Ema had said yes or not.

~.~

Natsume stared at his phone after Azusa hung up. The call had been strange, to say the least. He wasn't sure Azusa's explanation of being worried about Ema quite made sense. Azusa hadn't sounded protective of Ema. He'd sounded jealous, which made Natsume wonder if there was anything going on at the Asahina house that he was missing living away from home. He didn't see his brothers interact with Ema much, but for the first time it occurred to him that some of his brothers might feel differently about Ema the woman than they had Ema the girl.

Not that that was his primary concern at the moment. He'd had no idea Ema had had a bad dating experience and wasn't interested in dating right now. He couldn't imagine how any guy could hurt Ema and whoever this ex was, he deserved to be punched.

As for his and Ema's relationship, it wasn't as though Natsume had planned to start dating her. He meant it when he said the launch party wasn't a date. He enjoyed spending time with Ema and thought she might enjoy the party. Yes, he'd recently been thinking Ema might be someone he could have feelings for, but that didn't mean anything had to change between them.

Maybe this was for the best. Natsume would go slow and see if feelings developed between them. If something was meant to happen between them, it would happen. If not, they would still be good friends.

Of course, it now sounded like there was the possible concern of some of his brothers having feelings for Ema, but he tried to push that worry out of his mind since there wasn't anything he could do about that at the moment.

~.~

"Thanks for doing my hair on such short notice," Ema said to Louis as she considered the final product in the mirror. He'd curled her hair before putting it into a French twist, leaving a few tendrils out to fall around her face. "I look so grown up!" Which was exactly what she'd requested and hoped for.

She'd told Louis how excited she was to go to the launch party of the video game with Natsume, but was worried it might look bad if Natsume's coworkers realized he'd invited a high school girl. She didn't want Natsume's reputation to be hurt when he was doing something nice for her, so she'd wanted to look older.

Her dress was a light pink spaghetti strap with an asymmetrical bottom and a silver jacket since it was cold outside. Natsume had told her the party was formal attire and Ema was grateful she had a few nice dresses she'd picked up from her travels. Dresses and skirts weren't exactly a high necessity for traveling around with her father and spending much of her time either outdoors or playing video games.

"You look perfect," Louis said, placing his hands on her shoulders as he also gazed at her in the mirror. "No one would guess you're only seventeen. And, you're welcome. I'm glad you asked me to help. I hope you know I'm always here for you."

"Of course," Ema said, smiling at Louis in the mirror. "And I hope you would tell me if you ever needed anything."

"Sure," Louis agreed, stepping back and letting his hands drop. "You'd better go. Natsume should be here any minute to pick you up."

"Right," Ema said, grabbing the small silver purse that matched her jacket. "I'll see you later!"

"Where are you going?" Ukyo asked when Ema walked past the kitchen, his eyes on her dress.

"I'm going to the video game launch party with Natsume tonight, remember? I told you I wouldn't be able to help you make dinner tonight."

"Well, yes, I remember that, but…why are you dressed like that?" Ukyo looked shocked and a little alarmed.

"Natsume said the party is formal attire," Ema said, looking down at her dress. "Do you not think this is fancy enough?" She had texted a picture of the dress to Miwa to get her opinion on it since she'd been afraid of choosing the wrong thing. This was her first party that required formal attire, after all. Miwa had told Ema she thought the dress was perfect.

"No, that's not it," Ukyo said. "I just hadn't realized you needed to get dressed up for this. I was surprised."

"You look like you're going on a date," Yusuke blurted out.

Ema laughed. "No way, you guys don't need to worry about that. I'm in Japan to go to school, not date, remember? Besides, you guys knew I was going with Natsume. The Asahina brothers are like family to me. I'll see you guys later!"

~.~

Ukyo went back to making dinner, cutting the meat a little more vigorously than he needed to. Why was it that his brothers with the stupid jobs got to be closer to Ema? Tsubaki and Azusa had had Ema to themselves night after night as voice actors. Thank _goodness_ the anime had finally ended and Ema didn't seem to have any interest in continuing as a voice actor. And now Natsume, who developed games of all things, got to spend an entire evening with Ema looking like _that._ Ukyo wished he had a picture of Ema in her dress with her hair up.

Weren't women supposed to be attracted to doctors and lawyers? There were prestigious occupations, but all Ema seemed to care about were his brothers with the 'fun' jobs. Of course, she wasn't interested in them in a romantic way, Ukyo reminded himself. She was just interested in what they did.

Deflating, he remembered Ema's amused comment that the Asahina brothers were like family to her. She wasn't interested in _any_ of them. What could he do to stand out?

~.~

"Why was Ema getting into a car with Natsume while in a dress?" Subaru demanded when he burst into the living room. "Are they dating?"

"Dude, chill," Yusuke said. "There's a launch party tonight for a game that Ema is excited about. She helped test the game out during production, so Natsume thought it might be fun for Ema to meet some of the people involved in making the game. It's _not_ a date. At all. You know how those two are about video games."

"No, I don't know," Subaru said, crossing his arms. "What are you talking about?"

Yusuke blinked at Subaru, wondering why he was so upset. Then Yusuke realized that Subaru was usually at basketball practice when Ema was with Natsume. "They play video games together all the time. Well, a little less since Ema was doing her voice acting job, but they'll probably pick that up again now that she's done. Natsume brings her demos from his company all the time. Didn't you know how close those two are? Natsume's one of the ones Ema emailed when she lived abroad."

Of course, she emailed almost all the brothers. There had only been three she hadn't. Yusuke, who'd been too stupid and embarrassed to email her while she'd been gone, and Subaru and Fuuto, who hadn't wanted to email her. Yusuke was so caught up in his thoughts he didn't notice the sick look that passed over Subaru's face.

~.~

"This place is really nice," Ema said, looking around the room.

"Yeah, they went all out for this party," Natsume agreed. "This isn't the norm, but the company really wanted to impress our American partners. And they're really excited for the launch of this game. It's expected to do well in Japan and the United States."

"I'm excited too!" Ema said, her eyes brightening. "It's been so much fun to talk to some of the developers of the game tonight. Thanks for bringing me, Natsume."

"Of course. I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. I was a little worried you might be bored."

"Not at all," Ema said, shaking her head. "You know, when I came back to Japan for school, even though I was excited, I wondered if it would be a little monotonous doing the same thing every day since I'm used to so much variety, but I've experienced a lot of new things since coming back. I'm so grateful I'm here."

"Me too," Natsume agreed, smiling. "Life is more fun with you around."

"What's this? Natsume smiling? I wasn't sure he did that."

Natsume nearly flinched at the sound of Sakura's voice.

He turned to see Sakura, Shin, and one other person. Miako. Great.

"I guess Natsume's willing to show a side of himself to old friends that he doesn't show to coworkers," Sakura said with a mock sigh. "All we get is his serious side."

"Hi, Natsume," Miako said, looking far too excited to Natsume's eyes. "It's been a while."

"Uh, yeah," he agreed, not sure what else to say. "Ema, this is Sakura and Shin who work with me, and Miako, who's a friend of Sakura's. Guys, this is my friend Ema. Shin, what happened to your date? I thought you said you were bringing that girl you went on a date with a little while ago."

"She got sick unexpectedly," Shin said, shrugging. "So now I'm reduced to trailing behind Sakura and Miako."

"How long have you known Natsume for, Ema?" Sakura asked. Natsume had a bad feeling Sakura was trying to get out information on him from Ema, though information on what he didn't know.

"Um, about ten years, I think," Ema answered. "Maybe eleven."

"That's a long time," Sakura said. "So, you must have met Natsume's past girlfriends since you've been friends for so long. What kind of girls does he like?"

Natsume fought off the urge to groan and cover his face. He'd been right. Sakura was fishing for information. And he hadn't missed the nudge Sakura had given Miako. Sakura wanted to find out for Miako's sake. Couldn't they just accept the fact that if Natsume was interested, he would have done someone about it?

"Uhh…" Ema threw Natsume an awkward look. "Mine and Natsume's friendship is largely based around video games. We don't talk a lot about other topics."

"Ema is the friend I give demos to," Natsume explained.

"Ah, so you're our mysterious tester!" Shin said, his eyes lighting up. He held his hand out for Ema to shake. "It's nice to meet you. You've given us a lot of good feedback and found some glitches we totally missed that would _not_ have made our customers happy. Thanks for that! I feel like we should pay you for all the help you give us."

"No problem," Ema said. "And I'm happy to do it. Getting a sneak peek on games is more than enough payment enough for me."

"Aren't playing video games more of a guy thing?" Miako asked, wrinkling her nose.

"That's sexist!" Shin declared. "Don't you know how many girls are gamers these days? This world is an equal opportunity place, you know. And we've put a lot of work into creating games that appeal to the male _and_ female demographic. It's practically sacrilege to say something like that at a party like this."

"Whatever," Sakura said, rolling her eyes. "Can we please get back to the topic at hand? Natsume—"

"Actually, Shin just reminded me there's something important I need to talk to Ema about. Excuse us." Without waiting for a response, Natsume took Ema's arm and hurried away.

"Sorry about that," he said when they were out of earshot. "My coworkers are a little…interesting."

"Yes, that was…unexpected," Ema said. "Is your coworker interested in you?"

"No," Natsume said, shaking his head and grateful at least for that much. Having a coworker you weren't interested in like you would be difficult. "It's her friend, Miako. We've met a couple times and both of them keep hinting that I should ask her out. Since I'm not a blind idiot and haven't asked her out, I would think it should be clear that I'm not interested and don't want to ask her out."

"Oo." Ema winced in sympathy. "That can be tough. The production company my dad works for has had to fire a few women through the years when they don't get the message that my dad only wants to be friends. You could use me as an excuse if you wanted to."

"Thanks," Natsume said, surprised at the offer. He was glad he'd spoken to Azusa and knew he shouldn't read anything into it. If he hadn't known that Ema didn't want to date, he might have wondered if there was a deeper meaning to her statement. "But I already told them you and I were just friends."

Ema shrugged helplessly. "Well, at least I could act as an excuse to get you away for a little bit."

"Actually, it wasn't one hundred percent an excuse. Shin really did remind me of something I wanted to talk to you about. Do you remember that when I invited you I told you there was something I wanted to ask you?"

Ema nodded.

"Well, the company is hoping to move forward with the zombie hunter game with a female lead. The VP wants to hear possible voices before deciding for sure. I wanted to ask you if you would come in for a reading."


	33. Sleepover

**A/N:** My fanfiction isn't normally my focus when I'm writing since I enjoy writing original work as well, but I kind of want a break right now, so postings might increase for the next little bit J

 **Chapter 33 Sleepover**

"That was a long night, but it sure was fun," Ema said, yawning as walked into Natsume's apartment. "Are you sure you don't mind me staying here tonight?"

"Of course," Natsume said. "I wouldn't have offered if I didn't mean it. It's been a long time since we've been able to spend some time together, and tomorrow's Saturday, so neither of us have anywhere to be. Besides, my apartment was much closer to the party than the Sunrise Mansion. This is kind of late to be out driving. I feel okay, but I have been up for a long time and it would be unforgivable if we got into an accident because I wasn't as alert as I should be."

And he'd had a few drinks. Not enough to get drunk by any means, but enough that he was concerned that, combined with the late hour, it might affect his driving. He'd considered getting a cab for he and Ema, but decided he could make the fifteen minute drive just fine. Plus, he meant it when he said he wanted to spend more time with Ema. While the party had been far more enjoyable thanks to Ema's presence, they'd only had a small opportunity to talk to each other. Mostly, Natsume introduced Ema to people who worked on the game or they talked about the game.

"I feel too wired to go to sleep right away," Ema said, slipping her jacket off and tossing it on the couch.

"I know what you mean," Natsume agreed, loosening his tie. "You can't go to bed right away after coming straight home from doing something, whether it's work or a party."

Natsume froze when he glanced at Ema. Since she'd worn her jacket the entire evening, Natsume hadn't realized her dress had spaghetti straps. Not that there was anything wrong with that. Miako had certainly worn less than that when joining them for drinking, but…she wasn't Ema. How was it that just seeing Ema's shoulders make her looks so sexy? She was curled on the corner of the couch, looking tiny and innocent and beautiful and sexy all at the same time and it made Natsume want to…Well, he wasn't sure what it made him want to do, but certainly nothing he should want to do.

"Did you have something in mind?" Natsume asked.

"Video game?" Ema suggested hopefully. "I had so little time to play while I was working on the anime."

Ema's mention of the anime brought back their conversation from earlier that night. Ema had told Natsume she hadn't planned on continuing to voice act, but Natsume hadn't missed the interested gleam in her eye. They'd talked some more and Ema had decided that she would at least come in for a reading. If she was passionate about the character and the story, then she would consider doing it. Otherwise, she would let the company know she wasn't interested.

Natsume's first thought was to suggest they play Fantasia Dawning, but then he remembered Ema shooting him down last time. It still hurt his pride a little that she would choose to play with someone else over him.

"Sure," Natsume agreed. "You have anything specific in mind?"

"Hm," Ema leaned her head on her hand as she stared contemplatively at Natsume's games. Natsume wished she had kept her jacket on. He'd been so sure he would have no problem just being Ema's friend while waiting to see if anything developed between them, but that resolve seemed to be crumbling with Ema looking like that while sitting on his couch late at night.

"I think I'm too tired for anything complicated. Maybe just a fighting game? Or, if you wouldn't mind, we could play Fantasia Dawning and just do stuff to power up. I've gotten behind since I haven't had much time to spend on it."

Another flash of irritation. He was good enough for her to power up with on Fantasia Dawning, but not actually play with. That was reserved for her partner.

"Sure," Natsume said, hoping his voice didn't show how unenthusiastic he was about the idea. He told himself it would still be fun to spend the time with Ema. "Let me just get it setup."

Natsume pulled out his laptop next to his desktop computer so they could both sit at his desk as they played. He gave Ema the desktop computer so she would have the bigger screen, then stopped when he saw her username.

"ChiTraveler?"

Ema blushed. "Chi is a nickname a friend of mine gave me, and I added Traveler to it since I was traveling around the world when I discovered this game. I know it's a little silly."

"Not anymore silly than mine," Natsume said, pulling his profile up and turning the laptop toward Ema so she could see his username. He was suddenly feeling _much_ more excited about the evening ahead.

Ema stared at the name uncomprehendingly. Blinked, gaped, then threw back her head and laughed. "2CatPresident? _You're_ the one I've been playing with all this time? I can't believe we found each out by accident playing a MMORPG game while in different countries! That's hilarious. No wonder we've always worked together so well."

"And here you said you didn't want to play Fantasia Dawning with me," Natsume teased, suddenly remembering how glowingly Ema had talked about her Fantasia Dawning partner. It was nice to know she thought so highly of his online gaming skills.

"I can't believe I didn't figure it out when I had hints," Natsume said. "I knew ChiTraveler traveled a lot and often didn't have access to internet, and then you told me as Chi a little while ago that you were back in Japan. It was a month or so after you'd moved back though, so the correlation between you and my gaming partner didn't even register."

Ema giggled. "To think we played video games together nearly the whole time I was traveling. I wish I'd known it was you. I would have felt a little less lonely. I mean, we still exchanged emails, but that's not the same thing as spending time with a friend."

Natsume nodded. "Though I think playing together in the physical world and online might be more fun than just online." He held his breath a little at the suggestion, not sure how Ema would react.

"Totally!" She agreed. "I would love that. Though, I think our video gaming efforts might suffer a little, but I'm okay with that."

Natsume smiled and settled into his seat as they began playing. It looked like he might not be as much at a disadvantage with Ema compared to his brothers as he had thought.

~.~

"Hey, where's Ema?" Tsubaki asked Saturday morning as he looked around the kitchen and living room. "Is she still sleeping from her late night? I didn't even hear her get in."

"That's because she _didn't_ get in," Azusa said, barely refraining from snapping at his twin. "Ukyo informed me that Ema texted him and Masaomi last night to tell them the launch party went so late that Natsume just took Ema home to spend the night at his apartment." Azusa wanted nothing more in that moment than to rip into his younger triplet. What had been all that crap about only inviting Ema because he had to bring someone? If he wasn't interested in Ema, why had he invited her to spend the night at his apartment? Worse, why had she accepted?

"Was the party really late enough to warrant Ema staying at Natsume's? And where did they sleep?" Tsubaki asked with a frown. "Natsume only has one bed."

"I don't know," Azusa said. "I doubt that information was part of Ema's text."

"Stupid punk," Tsubaki muttered as he grabbed juice from fridge. "Thinking he can get a head of me."

Azusa tensed at Tsubaki's words. From what he could tell, Tsubaki still hadn't noticed that Azusa had feelings for Ema as well. That was a conversation that needed to happen soon.

~.~

When Natsume woke up, he wondered why he was on the floor and why it was so bright outside. Then he remembered the events of the night before. The party had gone late enough that Natsume suggested Ema sleep at his place. After, they'd spent more hours than they should have playing Fantasia Dawning before finally going to sleep.

Ema had tried to protest Natsume giving her the bed, but he'd refused to accept her protests and laid out a futon on the floor for himself.

He got up quietly, not wanting to disturb Ema if she was still asleep. Once on his feet, he saw that she was. She was laying on her side, facing him. The blankets were only partway on her, revealing the sweats she'd borrowed from Natsume to wear to bed. She looked incredibly adorable laying there. And just a little bit tempting.

Abruptly turning away from the sight, Natsume quietly grabbed clothes from his dresser. He thought it would be nice to make breakfast for Ema since she was always cooking for others. Glancing at his alarm clock, he realized brunch would be a more accurate title than breakfast.

As he left the room, he had the thought that he hoped none of his brothers thought anything weird had happened with Ema staying in his apartment overnight.

~.~

"This is so good!" Ema said, taking another bite of her omelet. "I didn't know that anyone in the Asahina family other than Ukyo could cook."

"I don't know that I would call this cooking," Natsume said. "I just make simple stuff. I learned how to do some cooking back when I ran track for school. I needed healthy meals that were fast to make."

"Sometimes, simple is the best," Ema argued. "Ukyo's an amazing cook, but he does seem to prefer fancy dishes over simpler items. I've suggested we make faster things for dinner to make things a little easier on him, but he says he doesn't mind." She paused after taking another bite. "Have you ever had my cooking, Natsume? I'm not sure you've been over to Sunrise Mansion since I returned to Japan."

"No, I haven't," Natsume said, realizing he didn't know anything about Ema's cooking other than that Tsubaki liked to brag about how good it was and that they got it every night and many mornings.

"We'll have to have you over for dinner sometime," Ema said cheerfully, then flushed. "I'm sorry, it sounded like I was inviting you to your own home."

"That's fine," Natsume said, laughing. "You live there now and I don't. Besides, it's not like any of my brothers are inviting me to come around."

"I think everyone would be happy to see you. You're just so busy with work all the time. Your brothers are probably afraid that if they invite you over, you'll be too busy to come." She perked up. "Though if you are too busy to come, I could come here and cook dinner for you if that would be all right. And then we could play games after!"

"Either sounds good to me," Natsume said. Was it wrong that he was happy that Ema seemed to want to spend time with him? "We could do both if that would work with your schedule."

"Sure! I'd be happy to do both. I'm always happy for an excuse to come see you and play video games."


	34. Reconciliation

**A/N:** Happy New Year! Thank you very much to everyone who supports this fic with reviews/follows/favorites!

 **Chapter 34: Reconciliation**

"Next time we go on a trip, we should go with just the two of us and Juli," Ema told Louis lightly.

There were at on onsen again, though an indoor one this time. Spring was around the corner, but it was still chilly outside. This trip they had been joined by Tsubaki, Azusa, and Kaname. With how well Ema got along with most of the brothers she wondered how on Earth she'd ended up on a trip with the two who things were awkward with.

If she had known Azusa and Kaname would be on this trip, she would have come up with an excuse for why she couldn't come. Not that Kaname had done anything like Azusa had, things had just been awkward between her and Kaname ever since the New Year's fireworks festival at Kaname's shrine. They hadn't spoken much since then other than superficial conversations.

"Okay," Louis agreed. "Juli will be happy about that. I know he was sad to be left home this time." Juli had come down with something and been frantic he wasn't coming with Ema. He'd insisted on having a private conversation with Louis before they'd left for some reason. Ema felt bad leaving Juli behind, but Masaomi and Wataru had promised to take good care of him for her.

"Should we change and head straight for the onsen?" Tsubaki asked, catching up with Ema and Louis. After Wataru had mentioned how sad it was the Ema was all by herself at the last onsen they went to, Tsubaki had suggested they look for an onsen where people wore their swimsuits in the water and that allowed guys and girls into the same pool. The place they were at was geared toward foreigners who were more shy about their bodies, but Ema was happy they'd found a place like this. If only they didn't have two certain people with them. Onsens were supposed to be relaxing, not stresseful.

"Sure," Ema agreed. "We can spend an hour or two in the onsen and then get dinner. They're supposed to have a good buffet here."

~.~

"I'm excited we finally got to come on one of these trips with Louis and Ema," Tsubaki told Azusa in their room as they changed. "I've been bummed we haven't been able to go on any of the others. Don't you think Ema looks so cute in her swimsuit?"

Azusa's throat felt tight. This was the point where he was supposed to feel jealous, but he couldn't manage that with how Ema was treating him right now. He hadn't been able to think of anything to make things up to her and she was still avoiding him. She hadn't looked at him once since they'd left the house.

"Azusa?" Tsubaki prompted.

"Uh, right, sure," Azusa agreed, forgetting what Tsubaki had said. He wanted to bring his problem up with Tsubaki, but wasn't one hundred percent sure Tsubaki wouldn't accidently make things worse. Plus, then Azusa would have to explain how and why he had upset Ema, and he wasn't he was ready to have that conversation with his twin yet. That was a conversation that required thinking and planning ahead.

~.~

Ema stood awkwardly in the corner of the onsen. It felt rude somehow to get in first, so she was waiting for one of the others to arrive. Weren't girls the ones who were supposed to take a long time getting ready and boys the ones who were supposed to be fast?

She startled when three blond foreigners were suddenly in front of her.

"Hey, cutie, are you here all alone?"

She was surprised at how fluent their Japanese was. "Um, no I'm just waiting for my friends."

"Oh? How many? Are they as cute as you? Maybe we can all hang out together."

"Mm, I don't think that would work out so well," a voice behind Ema said before an arm wrapped around her shoulders. She jumped and looked up to see Kaname, his eyes on the three boys. "I'm afraid she's here with friends who aren't particularly interested in sharing."

The three boys grumbled, but left without any protest. Ema relaxed, grateful Kaname showed up when he did.

"What?" She asked when she realized Kaname was staring at her.

"I can't help but feel that what just happened it somewhat reminiscent of conversations we've had recently and proves I'm correct."

"That?" Ema scoffed, gesturing at the backs of the boys. "They were looking for a girl who was alone and vulnerable. There are plenty of guys like that. They think the girl will be flattered by the attention and do whatever they want. They're not terribly picky about who the girl is so long as she isn't bad looking."

Kaname looked like he wanted to bang his head against a wall. The look almost made Ema laugh.

"You're stubborn, you know that?" Kaname asked. "I don't think there's any way you're telling me the true story behind why you don't think you're pretty."

"It doesn't matter," Ema said, shrugging out from under Kaname's arm. "But thanks for the save. I appreciate it."

To Ema's surprise, Kaname reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her back.

"Hey, Louis," he said, speaking over Ema's head. "I need to talk with Ema for a bit. Why don't you occupy the twins while I do?"

Ema gave Kaname a shocked look, then turned to see Louis heading off toward the twins, who had just entered the room.

"We have nothing to talk about," Ema said. "There isn't anything _to_ talk about."

"Oh, I think there is," Kaname said, gently leading Ema into the water and an unoccupied corner. "And I think it's time you talked about it."

Ema folded her arms and leaned against the wall of the onsen, not looking at Kaname.

He spread his arms across the lip of the onsen, his gaze on Ema. "I'm pretty sure I can wait you out, you know. A lot of people find silence to be uncomfortable, but, like I've told you, I've had customers who are in real anguish and don't know how to verbalize it. I have a lot of practice waiting for people to say what they need to say."

Ema waited another minute or two before asking, "Why do you even care? Why does how I view myself mean so much to you?"

"Because you're my friend and practically an adopted member of my family," Kaname said, frowning at her. "You're important to me and I don't like you not realizing your full worth. You shouldn't think any less of yourself than you are, Ema. And if someone is responsible for you feeling that way, you shouldn't let them win like that."

Kaname's words gave Ema pause. She'd never thought of her reduced self-image as her letting Carlos win. Was it possible Kaname was right?

"But you're biased," Ema said. "You've known me since I was a little girl. How can I believe when you or any of the other Asahina brothers say I'm cute?"

Kaname smiled, an edge of relief in his eyes that Ema was responding to him. "Because every time Hikaru saw you, he bragged about how lovely you were becoming and would send us pictures. He told us how lucky he was that he got to see you blossoming in person while the rest of us were so far away and didn't know when we would see you again." He leaned closer, almost as though sharing a secret. "I think we both know that if Hikaru didn't find someone pretty, he would say so."

Ema bit her lip to keep herself from smiling. Hikaru was probably the most blunt person she knew. At least, when he wanted to be. The only time he gave false compliments was when he was trying to get something from someone, and he certainly hadn't been trying to get anything from Ema when he talked to his brothers. There was also the fact that Ema had always considered Hikaru to be an excellent judge of beauty. He'd made himself into a lovely lady admired by nearly all who met him, after all.

"Did Hikaru really say that?" Ema asked.

"I still have the emails saved in my 'Ema' folder if you want to see them when we get home," Kaname offered.

"You're 'Ema' folder?" Ema asked, amused.

Kaname smiled, but looked a little embarrassed. "Yes. I kept most of the emails you sent me in a folder to show off to my friends that I had a cute little sister figure who traveled the world. Since Hikaru's emails usually had pictures of you, I put them in the same folder."

"Thank you," Ema said. It warmed her heart that Kaname had kept emails from her. That was something she would have expected of Tsubaki or Wataru, not Kaname.

She sighed and looked down at her hands, watching the way the water distorted her fingers. "There was something that happened." And the she told him about Carlos, a fuller version than what she had told Iori.

Kaname's jaw was tight and his eyes were hard when Ema finished.

"Bastard," he said with feeling. "Don't you dare give him or anything he said or did one more thought, Ema. He doesn't deserve it."

"You're right," Ema agreed, surprising Kaname. She smiled at his surprise. "I liked what you said. About how I was letting him win. I'd never thought of it that way before, but I've been bogged down by how he treated me for a long time."

It wasn't just Kaname's words that made Ema think of the situation differently. It was conversations she'd had with Iori and Masaomi as well, but thanks to those conversations, Kaname's words had struck her in a way they might not have otherwise.

"I think I may have also treated some people unfairly because of it. You among them." She'd been so suspicious or disparaging of any guys who called her pretty, so sure they only wanted something. That hadn't been very kind of her. She had no idea what other people were thinking or feeling and had no right to push her own experiences and perspectives on to them without knowing where they were coming from.

"Well, that went much easier than I expected," Kaname said. He wrapped an arm around Ema's shoulder and kissed her forehead. "Unless you're just humoring me and don't really feel this way."

Ema smiled. "I wouldn't have told you about Carlos if I was just humoring you." Ema felt lighter, as though a burden had been lifted off her. "Thank you, Kaname." She grabbed his hand around her shoulder and squeezed. "Thank you for caring and for pushing the issue even when I tried to push you away."

"That's what family's for," Kaname said, shrugging again. Ema beamed. Few things made her as happy as when the Asahina brothers said she was like family to them. "But maybe before you date another guy, introduce him to me first. I'm pretty good about picking out the trash from the worth while ones."

"I sure hope I make a better decision _when_ I choose to date again, but I may just take you up on that offer, Kaname. Thank you."


	35. Confession

**Chapter 35: Confession**

"Why does Kaname get to hog Ema?" Tsubaki complained as they hung around the opposite side of the room. "We were all supposed to spend the time together." Of course, what Tsubaki really wanted was to spend time with Ema, but he wasn't selfish enough to say that out loud.

He had really been missing spending time with Ema since the anime had ended. They still saw each other and spent time together, but it wasn't near as much time as when they'd been working together. If Tsubaki had known he would be stuck in a corner away from Ema, he wouldn't have bothered coming. He couldn't even get a good luck at Kaname because Louis kept blocking his view.

"How do we know that Kaname isn't making a move on Ema right now?" Tsubaki asked. "Is it really a good idea to leave them alone for so long?"

"They're not alone, they're in public," Louis said mildly, clearly not sharing Tsubaki's concern. "And I didn't get the sense that that was what Kaname wanted to talk about. If he wanted to make a move on Ema, he would probably take her somewhere nice."

Tsubaki pouted, unable to deny the logic of Louis' words. But, then, why _did_ Kaname want to talk to Ema alone? Tsubaki couldn't think of any reason other than that Kaname was interested in Ema as a woman, which Tsubaki did not like the idea of at all.

"What do you think, Azusa? Why does Kaname want to be alone with Ema?"

Azusa shrugged. "Like Louis said, they're not alone, though I have no idea why he would want to talk with her without us there."

Azusa seemed like he didn't want to talk about it and Tsubaki wondered at Azusa's attitude. He'd been weird about Ema lately.

"Well, then, I need to talk to Azusa by myself," Tsubaki declared.

Louis blinked. "Okay. I'll wait over by the stairs, then."

"Why do you want to talk to me alone?" Azusa asked, looking confused.

"Because I want to know what's up with you and Ema," Tsubaki said, folding his arms.

Surprise and something that looked like panic flickered through Azusa's eyes. "I don't know what you mean. There isn't anything up between me and Ema."

"I mean how you keep acting weird around her. I see you sneaking glances at her, but not talking to her. What's up with that? Did you fall for her and don't know how to talk to her anymore?"

Azusa flinched and muttered something that sounded like Tsubaki was half right.

"I'm not—It's not—the problem isn't that I don't know how to talk to her. Well, maybe that is part of the problem, but not in the way you mean. It's Ema who doesn't want to talk to me and I don't know how to fix it."

Tsubaki frowned, not expecting that answer. He glanced toward Ema and Kaname, but other customers blocked his view. "Why wouldn't Ema want to talk to you?" Tsubaki couldn't remember Ema ever being upset with anyone, and couldn't imagine her angry with Azusa of all people.

"It's my own fault," Azusa sighed, staring at the cement floor under the water.

"Dude, what are you talking about?" Tsubaki said. Tsubaki, Azusa, and Ema spent a great deal of time together, and Azusa was rarely with Ema without Tsubaki around. How could something have happened between the two of them without Tsubaki being aware of it?

"I…treated Ema poorly." He shook his head and lowered his voice. "It was all because of that stupid kissing scene in the anime. I started to think of Ema differently and I was jealous at the studio when I saw you and Ema kissing for your scene. I know it was only for work, but it still upset me, and that scared me. You're the most important person in the world to me, Tsubaki. My growing feelings for Ema made me upset with you, so I didn't want them. That led to me being rude to her."

Tsubaki felt his stomach drop. Azusa had feelings for Ema too. How could he not have realized that his twin, his best friend, was falling for the same girl?

"Then when everything happened with the robot anime reboot, with me getting the lead role and you getting the rival, I realized how important our relationship is to Ema and how stupid I was being. It was too late at that point, though. The damage had already been done and I don't know how to fix it."

Tsubaki didn't know what to say. It upset him to hear that Azusa had been dumb enough to hurt Ema because of his own feelings, but it also hurt his heart that Azusa and Ema were at odds and that Azusa was in pain over it.

"Have you apologized?" Tsubaki asked.

"Of course, I have. Ema, being who she is, apologized to me, thinking she had done something to upset me. I told her she hadn't done anything wrong and that everything was my fault, but she hasn't wanted to talk to me since then. I don't know what to do."

"I'll think on this, bro," Tsubaki promised. He didn't know what to do either, not without knowing how Ema was feeling, or why she was still upset at Azusa. Was she still hurt by the way Azusa had treated her? Did she feel Azusa's apology hadn't been enough? He wished he knew, but was pretty sure Ema wouldn't tell him. She would probably act like she wasn't upset and then try harder to hide the hurt she felt toward Azusa. Ema had never been honest about when people hurt her. He wished she would open up to him.

"You're not mad?" Azusa asked. "I mean that I—" His gaze jumped in Ema's direction. "That we both—"

"That we both have feelings for the same woman?" Tsubaki guessed, smiling sadly. "I can't say that I'm happy about it and, honestly, I don't know what that will mean or what we should do about it, but I can't say it's terribly surprising either. She means a lot to both of us and we've spent a lot of time together. That episode…after that was when my feelings started changing to. I've wondered if I'd felt something for her before that and it just brought it out."

"Yeah," Azusa agreed, going back to staring at his feet. "I think this happening was inevitable, what happened with that episode just acted like a catalyst for our feelings."

"Hey, don't worry," Tsubaki said, putting a hand on Azusa's shoulder. "We'll figure this out, all right?"

"Right," Azusa said, though he didn't look optimistic.

Tsubaki couldn't blame him. He didn't feel very optimistic either.

~.~

Ema and Kaname didn't end up joining the rest of them. Kaname had told Louis that he and Ema still had some things to discuss and were going to dinner alone together, though he had apologized for stealing Ema for pretty much the whole trip since they we're going home in the morning. Both Louis and Kaname had work Sunday afternoon.

Unlike Tsubaki, Azusa wasn't worried about Kaname and Ema spending the time together. He'd known his older brother long enough to know when Kaname was flirting and when he was being serious. Right now, Kaname was definitely being serious. Azusa was a little curious about why, but had zero concern that anything romantic was going on.

He, Tsubaki, and Louis had had dinner together. Azusa was standing in a common area of the onsen, staring out a large window at the foliage outside. Plants were beginning to bloom and Azusa was debating going outside, but it was still chilly in the evenings when the sun went down.

Azusa felt bad that he'd dragged down the mood at dinner. Tsubaki had tried to be his normal cheerful self, but Azusa couldn't bring himself to play along. The longer Ema was offish with him, the worse he felt. He couldn't remember ever feeling so low for so long in his life. He was relieved that Tsubaki had reacted so well to learning that Azusa also had feelings for Ema, but it did nothing to bring Azusa any closer to reconciling with Ema.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't know someone else was in here."

Azusa's head jerked up see Ema about to leave the room. He wondered if she and Kaname had just returned.

"Wait," he said. He had nothing planned to say to her, the word came out before he could help it. He just couldn't stand the way she left any room with him in it as soon as she could. He missed her.

Ema paused, half-turning toward him.

The thought hadn't crossed Azusa's mind before now, but, suddenly, all he could think of was giving Ema the truth. They were alone in the room, so it seemed the perfect opportunity.

"I love you." Ema's eyes widened. "You are the kindest woman I know, and I have never seen anyone work as hard for other people as you do. The other hard-working women I know mostly do it for themselves. They're looking to advance their careers, or to impress those around them. You do it because you want to. Because you want the people around you to be happy and comfortable. You're even nice to Fuuto when he's a jerk to you."

He took a step toward Ema. "It scared me when I realized my feelings for you were changing. I felt resentful when Tsubaki got close to you, like he's always done." He had to be careful not to reveal that Tsubaki cared for Ema as well. That was Tsubaki's responsibility and privilege to decide when and how he wanted to tell her.

"I didn't want to feel that way about my brother, my best friend, so it made me angry with you. Like I told you before, all my orneriness toward you was one hundred percent my fault and me being stupid. I had no right to blame you for my feelings for you, or for the way it made me jealous of Tsubaki. When I saw how important mine and Tsubaki's relationship is to you, I realized how stupid I was being and it made me love you even more. Both because you understand how important that relationship is to Tsubaki and I and because it's important to you as well. You were even willing to put up with my yelling to try to get me to see reason. Ema, I know I was terrible to you, but will you please forgive me for being so stupid?"

Ema looked stunned. "I—I don't plan to date anyone, Azusa."

"I know," Azusa rushed to say before Ema could say anything more. "I'm not asking you out and I'm not expecting you to reciprocate my feelings, that's not what this is about. I wasn't even planning on telling you this, but…my earlier apology when I only told you part of the story didn't seem to be enough, so I decided I would tell you the full truth this time."

Ema looked a little embarrassed. "To be honest, I'm a little relieved. I feel bad saying this, but from the way you described what happened before, I thought you were mad about something else in your life and were taking it out on my because you didn't want to take it out on any of your brothers."

"I would _definitely_ take something like that out on my brothers before I would you," Azusa said, and was pleased and relieved when Ema smiled a little.

The smile disappeared into a stern look. "Like you said, that wasn't an appropriate way to treat me, Azusa, but I do appreciate you explaining the whole story to me. That is different from what I was imagining."

"So, am I forgiven?" Azusa asked, taking another step forward. "I'm not trying to make anything change between us, like I said, I just miss you. You're one of my closest friends, Ema. I don't want to lose that."

"I don't either," Ema said. "Yes, you're forgiven. Thank you, Azusa."

Azusa shook his head. "I'm the one who needs to thank you, Ema. Thank you for forgiving me for being so stupid. I promise I'll never do anything like that to you again. I know it's not an excuse, but I've never felt for anyone what I feel for you and I didn't know how to handle it. I swear that my head is on straight now that I have all my feelings sorted out."

"Okay, Azusa. Goodnight."

Unlike the last time Ema had said that after Azusa's apology, this time she met his eyes and smiled before leaving.

~.~

In love with her. One of the Asahina brothers was in love with her. This wasn't something Ema had ever imagined would happen. Wasn't she supposed to be like family to them? Of course, only a handful of the brothers had said something along those lines to her. That didn't mean that all of them felt that way.

Ema found herself unable to sleep that night as her mind ran in circles around her and Azusa's conversation.

She was grateful Azusa had said he didn't expect anything in their relationship to change, but she wasn't sure she could treat Azusa the same as she had with what she now knew. It seemed like that was what he wanted, but would that be rude? It felt like she would be ignoring his feelings, which didn't seem right. But, on the other hand, if she didn't treat him the same as always, how _would_ she treat him?

At least her hurt feelings toward Azusa had mostly gone away. She still wasn't thrilled with what he had done, but she tried to imagine how she would feel if she had feelings for a guy who Arisa liked and was close to. It could make her resent Arisa, and rather than feeling like that, she would want to expunge her feelings for the guy.

Since that was how she would feel, she couldn't blame Azusa for panicking for his feelings for her.

~.~

"You told Ema you love her?" Tsubaki asked, trying to keep any emotion out of his voice. Not that he knew what emotion would be in his voice if he let any leak in. This was the last thing he'd expected Azusa to do and he didn't know how he felt about it. Confused? Angry? Resentful?

There was definitely some resentment. Azusa knew how Tsubaki felt about Ema, but without any apparent thought for that, he'd told Ema his feelings without saying a word about it to Tsubaki. Part of Tsubaki felt that it had been his right to tell Ema about his feelings first. He was the older of the two of them and had always been closer to Ema. And he wasn't the one who had hurt her. Didn't all those things give him the right to be the first one to confess?

"How did she react?" A heavy weight seemed to have lifted from Azusa's shoulders and he couldn't seem to stop smiling. It pissed Tsubaki off.

"Well, I hadn't been planning on telling her. She came into the same room as me and then turned to leave, as she always does these days. The truth just came out. I'm glad she's not mad anymore. At least, she seemed like she really forgave me this time."

Tsubaki nodded, trying to hold onto his patience. "Mmhm, and how did she react when you told her you loved her?"

Azusa shrugged. "She told me she had no intention of dating, so I told her I wasn't telling her my feelings so she would reciprocate them, but to explain my behavior. I told her I didn't expect anything from her."

Tsubaki stilled. He and Azusa hadn't discussed their feelings for Ema or what it meant. "So, you don't plan to pursue her?" Tsubaki said carefully.

Azusa blinked, looking surprised. "Of course I do."

Tsubaki was on his feet before he knew it and Azusa looked even more surprised. "I have no intention of handing her over," Tsubaki declared.

"I wasn't expecting you to back down," Azusa said, his voice the one that was careful this time. "But handing her over isn't your choice. It's hers."

"Fine," Tsubaki said, a bite to his voice. "May the best man win then."

~.~

Azusa couldn't help being happy when he went to bed that night. He felt bad about the argument he and Tsubaki had had, but he was too relieved over how his conversation with Ema had gone to be too upset. He and Tsubaki would work things out. Things might be difficult between them for a while, but they would be okay.

In the meantime, Azusa needed to think of how he would prove to Ema that he was the type of guy she would want to date.


	36. Race

**A/N:** I am so sorry! I go through BroCon phases and this last phase has phased out…I'm sorry to say that I've lost all interest in this fic. However, I already had this chapter plus four more written, so there's no reason for me not to post these other than the fact that I was waiting until I had the motivation to go through and edit them. Thanks to That Artist Girl's review, I finally found the motivation. I will keep all my notes for this story in the hopes that when my next BroCon phase hits, I'll want to finish this.

 **Chapter 36: Race**

"What are you two doing here?" Natsume demanded, crossing his arms as he stared at his triplets.

"We came with Ema to cheer you on in your race, bro," Tsubaki said, putting a hand on Ema's shoulder. "We thought you could use more support."

Natsume fought the frown that wanted to form when Tsubaki put his hand on Ema. Natsume remembered that Tsubaki had always been hugging and holding Ema's hand when she was little. He'd assumed that now that Ema was older, that had stopped, but what if it hadn't? "I didn't invite the two of you, I invited Ema."

"Oh, come on, Natsume. How long has it been since the three of us spent time together? Azusa and I miss you. And how could we not come support our little brother?"

"It's your first race in a long time," Ema said, her eyes bright with excitement. "Isn't it nice to have more support?"

Ema looked so excited that Natsume couldn't tell her that no, it wasn't nice to have his twins there. It wasn't as though he resented their presence. He'd just been looking forward to spending time with Ema alone when they went out for lunch afterward. There was no way Tsubaki and Azusa wouldn't join them. And why had those two decided to come?

It wasn't unbelievable that Tsubaki had decided he wanted to come support Natsume and dragged Azusa along, but if that was case wouldn't Tsubaki have texted Natsume beforehand? And if Tsubaki had wanted to surprise Natsume with his presence, he should have made a bigger deal out of it. Natsume couldn't help thinking that Tsubaki's presence had more to do with Ema than with him. And hadn't Azusa been all bent out of shape when he learned Natsume had asked Ema to go to the launch party with him?

"Sure," Natsume said, laying a hand on Ema's head. "I need to go get ready for the race. I'll see you guys in a bit." He couldn't help glancing back at the three of them as he walked away. Ema was still looking in his direction and he waved to her, but both his triplets' attention were on Ema. Was it possible all three of them were falling for the same woman?

~.~

"Ema sure seems excited about all this," Tsubaki said as he and Azusa stood a little back from the small crowd cheering the racers on. Ema looked like one of the most engaged members of the audience.

"She's always supported all the Asahina brothers in whatever we do," Azusa said. Like Tsubaki, his attention was more on Ema than their little brother. "It's not strange that she's excited for Natsume. And they've spent all that time hiking together. She's kind of helped him train for this, so you could say she has a vested interest in the outcome."

"You think that's all it is?" Tsubaki asked. He and Azusa still hadn't discussed Azusa confessing to Ema or the fact that they both wanted Ema, but at least they could both agree that they _didn't_ want Ema getting too close to Natsume. Or, more accurately, they didn't want Natsume getting too close to her.

"Of course, it is," Azusa said, then lowered his voice. "What are the chances that all three of us would fall for her?"

"I guess," Tsubaki said, still feeling grumpy. "I wish I did some kind of sport for Ema to come cheer me on and help me practice."

Azusa rolled his eyes.

~.~

That night, Natsume frowned at the text from Sakura. Once again, she was trying to set him up on a date with Miako. Sakura claimed that it was a Saturday get together with their coworkers and a few friends, but there were enough hints there that it was clear that Sakura wasn't done trying to play matchmaker.

He hadn't wanted his coworkers to tease him or to get the wrong idea when he brought Ema to the launch party, so he'd made it clear they were just friends. It appeared that had been a mistake. Maybe if his coworkers believed he was interested in Ema, they would drop the whole Miako thing, except how was he supposed to accomplish that now?

A thought occurred to Natsume and he smiled before grabbing his phone and making a call.

"Hi, Natsume!" Ema's enthusiastic voice over the phone made Natsume's smile stay in place. "Are you sore after your run today? It's so exciting that you took third place!"

"No, I'm not sore. The race was shorter than what I usually run. And my technique wasn't as good as it should have been. If I'd held the proper running form the whole race, I would have taken second or first."

"You're so hard on yourself," Ema chided. "This was your first race after how many years? And you still managed to place. I think you should be pleased. Now that it's warmer, we'll have to start up on our hikes again."

"Definitely," Natsume agreed. "And thanks again for coming to support me. I really appreciated it." It would have been nicer if his twins hadn't gone to lunch with them after. Tsubaki and Azusa had insisted on sitting next to Ema and Tsubaki had put his hands on Ema way more than necessary, but at least they wouldn't be around if Ema agreed to Natsume's plan, and she _had_ offered her help back at the launch party.

"Listen, I'm sorry to ask this, but I'd like a big favor from you if you're willing."

"Of course," Ema said. "What is it?"

Natsume chuckled. "You should probably listen to a person before agreeing so readily. Do you remember meeting the girl Miako at the launch party? She was with my coworkers Shin and Sakura."

"Yeah, I remember her. She was really pretty. She didn't seem to like video games though. I wonder why she went to the launch party at all if that's the case."

Natsume winced. "If you recall, I told you then that Miako and Sakura seem pretty sure Miako and I would make a great couple. That's why she came. We have absolutely nothing in common, so I'm not sure where either of them got the idea that we would make a good couple from. I haven't given Miako the slightest hint that I'm interested, but she's not backing off and neither is Sakura. Now Sakura has set up yet another thing hoping to get Miako and me together. I don't want to be rude and I was wondering if you would be willing to go as my pretend date. If they think I'm dating someone else, maybe they'll back off. It's nothing big, just a game night at Shin's apartment."

Silence came from the other end of the phone, so Natsume hurried to add, "It would be nice if the launch party would have been enough, but I hadn't expected Miako to be there and beforehand I made it clear to my coworkers that you and I are just friends since I didn't want them to be weird about me bringing a girl. I think that's why Sakura tried to pump you for information on what kind of girl I like. At the launch party, you offered to be an excuse for me. Would you still be willing to do that?"

"I see," Ema said. "I can understand you not wanting to be rude and it would be awkward to have a girl you're not interested in keep trying to date you. I can come."

"Thanks," Natsume said, relieved. When Ema hadn't said anything at first, he'd feared he'd pushed her too far. "I know it's a lot to ask. I really owe you."

"No, you don't," Ema said. "Friends don't help each other out to owe each other. They help each other out because they're friends."

"Thanks, Ema," Natsume said again.

~.~

Ema felt awkward in Natsume's coworker's apartment. She knew she was the youngest person in the room, but she didn't know by how much. She wondered how old everyone else thought she was. Clearly old enough to have alcohol since that had been offered to her. She hoped she wouldn't do something to give away the fact that she was only seventeen.

"I thought you two were only friends," Sakura said, her smile a little sharp as she looked between Natsume and Ema.

Natsume's arm was along the back of the couch, not quite touching Ema. She got the sense that Natsume felt as awkward as she did about pretending to be a couple.

"Friends become lovers all the time," Natsume said. "I think that's a better way then dating strangers and trying to find out if you're compatible."

"I agree," Ema jumped in. "It's so much easier if you already know the person. Then you don't have to try to get to know one another and find out if you fit or if you can even stand the person. You already know most of what you need to. With my last two boyfriends I went straight to dating them without being friends first and neither turned out well. Going forward I only want to date people I already care about and trust." Ema remembered having a similar conversation with Iori. She really did plan to only date friends from now on. Not that she was in any rush, of course.

"I see," Shin said. "You were probably testing out the waters when you asked Ema to come to the launch party, right, Natsume? You didn't have the guts to ask her straight out, so you tried to play it cool like you were only going as friends."

Ema glanced over to see Natsume blushing. She was pretty sure she had never seen Natsume blush and couldn't help giggling at the sight, though she covered her mouth to stifle the sound. Natsume must have heard because he glanced at her and smiled.

"I don't know, you look a little young for Natsume," Miako said. She had a smile on her face, but there was a bite to her voice. "He seems like the kind of guy who might want an experienced woman."

Ema didn't know what kind of girl Natsume would be interested in since she knew nothing about his past girlfriends, but somehow she didn't think 'experienced' would be on Natsume's list of things to look for in a woman. And she was quite sure he wouldn't want a catty girl like Miako. He was too nice to date someone like that.

"I have a baby face," Ema said with a shrug. "All my friends tease me about it." She should have worn her hair down and put more makeup on. She looked older when she did that.

"Now, now," Shin said good naturedly, "Natsume's practically a baby himself. He's what, twenty-four? He's the youngest one in our department at least. So what if he'd dating a college girl? He only graduated a few years ago. Now, let's get started on our game shall we?"

The game was played in pairs and to win you had to partner with someone you knew well. The object of the game was who could answer the most questions for their partners and the topics ranged from wort nightmares as a child to favorite color to future dreams. Ema was pleased that she and Natsume dominated. Of course, they had known each other for longer than anyone else in the room.

"All right," Sakura declared after a while, throwing down the card she held with questions listed on it. "I give. You two are just too adorable together. I swear, even when you don't know the answer, you stare into each other's eyes and figure it out. I don't think I've ever seen a couple more suited for each other than the two of you."

Ema blushed. She hadn't considered it 'staring into each other's eyes', but it was true that Ema and Natsume had a habit of studying each other as they thought over an answer they were unsure of. Still, the game had been a lot of fun and most of Natsume's coworkers were really nice. Ema was glad she had come.

"I agree," Shin said. "The winner here is clear. Next time, I'm bringing my brother and I want a rematch."

"Sure," Natsume agreed, glancing at his watch. "If you're that interested in being beat again. In the meantime, it's getting late. Ema and I had better head out."

Once they were in the hall, Natsume murmured, "Thanks, Ema. I really appreciate you coming."

"Of course!" Ema said. "It was a lot of fun."

A throat cleared behind them and Ema whirled to see Miako. Despite the fact that they had only been playing a game at an apartment, Miako wore a short dress that looked more appropriate for clubbing than hanging out in an apartment.

Ema was grateful neither she nor Natsume had said anything about her only pretending to be Natsume's girlfriend.

"You two might know each other well, but you don't seem very close," Miako said, looking Ema up and down. "I didn't see you touch each other once and there just doesn't seem to be any chemistry between you. I'm good at sensing things like that."

Ema flushed. Was Miako trying to insinuate that she planned to try and steal Natsume from her? Not that she and Natsume were actually dating, but it was still rude. This girl had irked Ema just about beyond what she could stand. Not to mention the whole point of Ema coming had been to make this lady back off.

"No chemistry?" Ema asked, raising her eyebrows. "Because we're polite and don't show our affection for each other in front of other people? Public displays of affection are rude in several cultures, you know, but if you don't want us to be polite…"

Ema turned back to Natsume and raised on her toes, bracing one hand against Natsume's chest to kiss him. He made a surprised sound before his hands tentatively came to her hips. She moved closer pulling his head down and he relaxed against her, taking a firmer grip. In the back of her mind, Ema wondered if all the Asahina brothers were such good kissers or if it was just the triplets.

Ema slowly pulled back from the kiss, but stayed pressed against Natsume as she turned to give Miako a look that wasn't quite a glare. "I don't think you need to worry about our chemistry."

Miako flushed red, but turned and stomped back into the apartment.

Ema looked up to see Natsume looking dazed as she stepped away from him. "Sorry," she apologized. She blushed now, surprised at her own audacity and a little worried about what Natsume would think. She wasn't afraid of him misunderstanding and thinking she was interested in him, but it was rude to kiss someone without their permission. "I lost my temper," Ema explained. "Miako was rude all evening and it didn't seem like she planned to give up, but still…"

"Uh, don't worry about it," Natsume said, clearing his throat. "Like I said, I appreciate the help." He smiled and Ema relaxed. He didn't seem upset about her kissing him. "Though I hope you wouldn't mind spending time with my coworkers again. They really liked you and I'm sure Shin was serious about inviting us over to play again."

"That's fine," Ema said. "I had a really good time. Most of your coworkers and their friends were really nice." Ema took Natsume's arm as they continued to his car. He paused for a moment before patting her hand with his and continuing on.

~.~

"Well, that was a surprise," Shin said, grinning. "Who would have thought the stoic Natsume would go and get himself a girlfriend? I've never seen him have so much fun in all the time I've known him. Or smile so much. I'm glad he managed to find a girl who seems to understand him."

"Yeah, now if only he doesn't mess it up," another coworker joked. "He's so married to his job that he might."

"Ah, that girl loves our games," Shin said, waving a dismissive hand. "She's Natsume's mystery tester for our demos. I think she'll be understanding of Natsume working late hours so long as he doesn't do anything too dumb."

"He could have said he was interested in someone," Sakura grumbled, crossing his arms.

"Natsume?" Shin scoffed. "What makes you think he'd ever be that open with coworkers? I bet his own brothers probably didn't even know. Speaking of which, I wonder how introducing her to all the Asahinas will go. It can't be easy finding out your boyfriend has twelve brothers. But I guess they've known each other for years, so Ema probably already knows about all the brothers. Since that didn't scare her away, I bet nothing will."


	37. Hiking Dilemma

**Chapter 37 Hiking Dilemma**

"Since it's finally warmed up, I'm going to start hiking again!" Ema told Wataru cheerfully. "So I won't be able to play with you Saturday morning since that's when I like to go, but can I play with you in the afternoon?"

"Okay," Wataru agreed. "One day, we should go hiking as a family! That would be fun."

"It would be," Ema agreed, smiling. "Maybe we'll have to plan something this summer."

Finishing her conversation with Wataru, Ema turned the corner and almost ran into Subaru. "Oh, sorry!" She apologized.

"No, it's my fault. I'm the one in the way. I overheard you talking with Wataru. It's been a while since we've gone hiking. Mind if I join you on Saturday?"

Ema opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Her hiking plans were with Natsume and she didn't know what to say to Subaru. She remembered that months ago she'd hoped that she could maybe help Subaru and Natsume reconcile through hiking, but she'd figured it would be best to work up to that point rather than throwing the two of them together unexpectedly.

"Um…yes, you are welcome to come, but I am going hiking with Natsume." She watched Subaru's face carefully, waiting for his reaction.

A dark look came over his face. "Why are you going with Natsume? That quitter probably isn't at your level."

"Yes, he is," Ema shot back before she could help herself. She took a breath as she told herself to calm down. She didn't like any speaking poorly of her friends, even if it was another friend doing it. Or, perhaps, especially if it was another friend doing it and that friend happened to be related to the other friend. She cut her thought off there, feeling she was going around in circles in her mind. Still, she didn't like seeing conflict within a family. Didn't they realize how blessed they were to have siblings?

"Natsume has gotten back into running," Ema explained. "He ran his first race last week and took third. He already knows what he needs to improve on to do better next time. He and I have been hiking together almost since I got back."

Subaru looked stunned. "I didn't know Natsume had started running again." He paused a minute before a determined look came over his face. "I want to come with you guys."

"Are you sure?" Ema asked. "I know you two have had your differences." Hiking was supposed to be fun. She didn't want to end up in the middle of a sibling squabble halfway up a trail.

"It's fine," Subaru said. "But…why do you go hiking with Natsume? And play video games? And why did you go to that party with him? Are you two dating?"

Ema withheld her sigh. How many times was she going to have to say this? Apparently, she should have made a grand announcement upon moving back to Japan. "No, we're not dating. I'm not dating anyone, nor do I plan to date anyone. I'm here to go to school, not to meet guys. I spend time with Natsume because he's my friend and we enjoy some of the same things. I'll let him know you're joining us."

~.~

"I'm nervous," Natsume told Ema over the phone Friday night. "I mean, I'd love to have Subaru join us, but I'm afraid it won't turn out well. I've tried talking to him several times since our fight years ago, but he won't have it. He won't listen to a word I say."

"Maybe I'll be able to act as a buffer," Ema said, though she had little hope of that. For some reason, she had a bad feeling about their hike the next day. Something told her it wasn't going to go well.

"That's not fair to you," Natsume protested. "You shouldn't be thrown into the middle of Asahina family squabbles. It's not your responsibility to make sure we're all getting along, though I know how much you hate conflict."

"I know it's not my responsibility. I just like to help out when I can. And I think it might be important to Subaru that you've started running again. He was really stunned when I told him."

"Really?" Natsume asked, sounding hopeful. "That's good. I hope, anyway."

Ema bit her lip. "Maybe…maybe you could tell Subaru why you quit running in the first place? If he knew why, maybe it would be easier for him to forgive you."

"I don't think that's a good idea," Natsume said immediately. "Maybe after he's become a pro I can. It would be safe to tell him then, but at this point, the original reason why I lied to him still stands. I don't want his confidence about his chances of making it into the pros to be hurt by my decision to leave running."

Ema sighed quietly, not wanting it to carry over the phone. "Okay. I guess we'll just try to focus on the present during our hike then."

~.~

"Hey Subaru," Natsume called as they were hiking Saturday morning. "Maybe you want to slow down a little?"

"Why?" Subaru demanded, glancing behind. "Is my pace too fast for you?"

"I thought the point was for the three of us to hike together," Natsume said. "You might want to think about the pace of everyone in the group if that's the case." He jerked a thumb at Ema who had stopped to catch her breath. "If you'd rather hike at your own pace, go on ahead."

Guilt flashed through Subaru's eyes. He was being stupid and trying to make this a competition between he and Natsume. He wanted to prove that he was better now since Natsume had quit and just come back to sports. He'd forgotten about Ema.

"Sorry, Ema," he said, hating himself. Could he ever manage to not be a jerk to her? Since Ema had said she wasn't interested in dating, it meant he had a chance. If he was really good friends with her and they were close, it meant he would be right there when she did decide she wanted to date. But if he kept pulling crap like this, he certainly wouldn't be first on her list of people to date. And he hoped to be the _only_ one on that list when the time came.

"It's okay," Ema said, starting forward again. "It's probably a little maddening for you to have to go at my pace."

"No, not at all," Subaru said. "I just got a little carried away, that's all. Coach is pushing us really hard right now since scouts are starting to come to our games. I guess it's sitting in the back of my mind to push myself even when I don't really need to."

"Scouts?" Ema and Natsume said at the same time.

"That's fantastic, Subaru!" Ema said, her eyes lighting up. It warmed Subaru's heart to see it. That was a good sign, right? That she was excited for him? "I'm so excited for you! I'm sure you'll do great. You can go on ahead if you want. We don't want to hold you back if you should be training."

"Should you be here at all if you have scouts coming?" Natsume asked, frowning. "It's your dream to go pro, Subaru. That means you need to give it your all. It sounds like you should be practicing right now. Not going hiking for fun."

Ema winced. She knew Natsume was only concerned for Subaru and wanted him to do his best, but that probably wasn't how Subaru would take it.

"What right does a quitter have to tell me how to practice?" Subaru demanded, rounding on Natsume. "What would you know about it?"

"I know that if you want to impress the scouts you have to be better than everyone on your team and the opposing team," Natsume said, his voice also rising. "Why did you decide to come hiking when it's such an important time for you?" His eyes slid to Ema and he frowned.

"It's none of your business what I do," Subaru said, shoving Natsume. Ema gasped. "You're just a stupid quitter. Though it sounds like maybe you regret it now. Do you really think you can be as good as you were before when you haven't done anything for years? You'll probably just quit again as soon as things get hard. Unlike you, _I_ know how to work hard and stay with things." Jerking away from Natsume, Subaru stomped back down the trail.

Ema closed her eyes. She'd been right that the morning wouldn't go well, though she hadn't expected things to turn out this badly.

"Do you and Subaru spend much time together?" Natsume asked.

Ema blinked, confused at the change in topic. What did that have to do with anything? Maybe Natsume hoped Ema would know how much time Subaru spent practicing and if he was as serious about it as he should be. "Not a lot. He occasionally plays video games with Wataru, Yusuke, and me and I've been to a few of his games. And we went hiking together once before. Louis and I like to do small weekend trips around Japan and he joined us once. That's the one time we went hiking together. He spends most of his time at practice."

"So, he doesn't spend much time with you?"

Ema frowned. Hadn't she just answered that? "No. He's one of the brothers I talk to the least. Why? If you're hoping to get more information about he's doing at practice and in games, Yusuke would be the one to talk to."

Natsume shook his head. "No, it's nothing. It was just a thought I had." He sighed and shook his head again. "You know, he's got a point. What right does a quitter have to tell him how to get scouted?"

"You're not a quitter!" Ema argued. "You would have continued running, even just on the side, if you hadn't been worried about Subaru being discouraged about his chances of becoming pro at basketball. You're one of the most hard-working people I know. Quitters don't work hard, Natsume. And I think it's brave and wonderful that you're getting back into running even though you are behind people who have continued to run since high school."

"Thanks," Natsume said, smiling. "Though I don't think it's as amazing as you're making it out to be." He looked the way Subaru had gone, though Subaru was far out of sight at this point. "Should we head back?"

"Yes," Ema agreed. The mood would only be somber and depressed if they continued on the trail.

~.~

"Ema, can I talk to you?" Subaru asked that night after dinner.

"Sure," Ema agreed, following him to the empty recreation room.

"I wanted to apologize for earlier," Subaru said. "I shouldn't have just left you with Natsume." His face turned bitter. "A quitter like that would probably abandon you halfway up the mountain if it got too hard."

"Natsume's not like that!" Ema said, frustrated at Subaru's complete unwillingness to see Natsume for who he truly was. Natsume missed his relationship with Subaru so much. Ema knew that Subaru had been hurt by Natsume's decision and his subsequent explanation, but how could Subaru not miss Natsume as well? How could he not want the man who was once his favorite brother back in his life?

"Natsume works really hard and he's the one who told me to never go hiking alone because it could be dangerous. He would never leave someone in a situation like that."

"Why are you defending him?" Subaru demanded. "You know what he did."

"Yes, and I also know what he's doing now," Ema shot back. "You should be proud of your brother and support him rather than shoot him down. Maybe this time _you_ are the example for _him_ instead of him being the example for you like when you were younger."

Subaru looked stunned, and then guilty. "I—" He shook his head. "I can't think about that right now. There's too much going on with the scouts coming and other stuff on my mind." He put one hand on the wall behind Ema and stared down at her, pain in his eyes. "Do you care about Natsume? Romantically, I mean?"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Ema asked, exasperated and confused.

"You spend all this time with him and I didn't even know it, and you keep defending him. You won't even see my side at all."

"Because you're wrong," Ema said, taking a step toward Subaru. "And what does it matter that I spent time with Natsume without you knowing it? He's my friend. He's always been my friend, and I'm free to choose my own friends. What makes you think you have the right to decide who I'm friends with?" Especially since he'd had no interest in being her friend until recently.

"Because I like you!" Subaru exclaimed, removing his hand from the wall to throw his hands up in the air. "Because I care about you and I don't another guy to be with you. I—I can't stand the thought of you being with someone else, especially not a quitter like him. I won't be able to focus without knowing the truth."

Stunned, Ema took a step back. How could she be receiving a second confession within the same month as the first? And from another Asahina brother, no less. "I—I already told you the truth, Subaru. I'm not going to date anyone." She barely managed to stop herself from saying that included him. "Natsume is my friend and you're the one causing problems, not him. That's why I'm taking his side, not because I'm secretly in love with him or because we're secretly dating."

Subaru looked miserable. Part of Ema wanted to comfort him, but a bigger part of her wanted to leave. How did this happen? How did Subaru go from wanting nothing to do with Ema to wanting to date her? All she'd wanted was to be his friend. She was quite sure she hadn't done anything to encourage him feeling this way.

"I'm sorry," Subaru said, stuffing his hands in his pockets and staring at the floor. "I'm not good at stuff like this and I have no idea what I'm doing. I hope you're not mad." He glanced at Ema before looking down again.

"I hadn't planned to tell you all that, I just panicked thinking that you and Natsume were closer than you really are." Ema had to bite back a sarcastic comment about the Asahinas apparently having a habit for spontaneous confessions they hadn't planned to make. He shrugged awkwardly. "Now that my feelings are out there, I want you to consider them seriously. I know you said you don't plan to date right now, and I don't need an immediate answer. I just…want you to know that I'm here if you change your mind."

He left after that and Ema sank to the ground. What on Earth was she supposed to do with this information?


	38. Audition

**Chapter 38 Audition**

"How do you think the reading went?" Ema asked Natsume. They were eating lunch in the breakroom of Natsume's company, which was empty since it was late for lunch. Ema had just finished doing a reading for the heroine of the zombie game a few minutes ago.

"The VP looked pleased," Natsume said. "I think he really liked you. What did you think of it?"

Ema grinned. "The script was great. I'm really excited for this game. And I think it would be fun to voice the heroine. Amazing, actually. If I'm part of this, I really want to make it something incredible. Zombie games are fun, but it would be great to bring more of a story into the game to engage the players a little more."

Natsume smiled. "I think the VP would be very happy to hear that. I'll pass that along."

"Do you know how many other people are doing a reading for the heroine?"

Natsume shook his head. "All I know is that they asked me to bring you in. I don't know any other details, other than that they don't plan to do readings for any of the other characters until they decide who will voice the heroine. The VP wants to build the cast around her voice to make sure everyone meshes."

"It sounds like they're putting a lot of thought into this. That's nice to hear." Ema went back to her meal.

Natsume watched her in silence before saying, "I'm glad to hear you sound so excited about this project. I finished watching the anime you did and I think you'd do a great job. I feel like you'd bring a lot to the character with your passion for gaming, but…you mind telling me what has you so distracted today? You did great for the reading, but you seemed kind of out of it before that."

Ema put her spoon down, trying not to look miserable. "The night I got home from our hike with Subaru, he wanted to talk to me. He was really upset, thinking that you and I might be in a romantic relationship. I told him we weren't, but he freaked out telling me he likes me and wants to be with me." Ema was grateful for someone to confess this to, except, Natsume's next words showed her she chose the wrong person.

"This isn't the time for Subaru to be distracted," Natsume said, his voice hard. "He needs to focus on his game and on impressing the scouts."

Ema stared at Natsume, stunned. Was this why Natsume kept asking Ema if she spent a lot of time with Subaru? He wanted to make sure she wasn't distracting him from his chances of making it into the pros?

"Well, excuse me for some guy I'm not interested in deciding to confess to me," Ema said, slamming her hands on the table as she stood. Dimly, she was grateful that no one was in the room except them. Thank goodness she hadn't let them go to a real restaurant as Natsume had suggested. She hadn't wanted to make him miss any work. "Do I need to wear a sign that says 'I do not want to date'? Or do I need to seclude myself to make that clear?"

Natsume stared up at Ema in surprise, though she couldn't imagine how he thought she'd react to him basically accusing her of being responsible for Subaru not being as focused on basketball as Natsume thought he should be.

"You know, it's not like Subaru's the kind of guy I'd normally go out of my way to be friends with, but since Subaru, Fuuto, and Yusuke all resented me living in the Asahina home, I figured I would try to make things easier on them by becoming their friend. I'm the one who was hated in the place that's supposed to also be my home and wanted things to be better for all of us. Excuse me for your bother who's terrified of girls deciding he wants to date the one girl he's ever talked to." She knew her words were becoming cruel, but she couldn't seem to stop herself. Azusa's confession had been one thing since he'd basically given her license to ignore his romantic feelings for her. He just wanted them to be friends again. Subaru's confession pissed her off. She hadn't realized how much until that moment.

"You know, your brother probably doesn't even know what he likes in a woman seeing as he's never talked to any before. Why don't you convince him to have a few conversations with members of the opposite sex, and then he'll realize he's confused about his feelings." With that, Ema grabbed her purse and stalked out. She could find her own way out.

"Ema, wait," Natsume called after her. He grabbed her arm and she yanked it out of his grasp. "Yusuke, Fuuto, and Subaru resented you moving in? Were they mean to you?"

Ema stared at Natsume in disbelief. "Those three always hated me." That wasn't quite true since she and Yusuke had been friends at one point, but they certainly hadn't been when Ema had left. "Why on Earth would they have changed their opinion just because a few years had passed? Subaru was angry about having a girl in the house and Fuuto decided my one desire was to take advantage of living with the wealthy Asahina family, never mind the fact that my dad is more famous than any of you and I certainly wouldn't need any of your help getting attention if I wanted it."

Ema shut herself up. She'd said enough. More than enough.

"I'm sorry," Natsume said. "I had no idea you had to deal with anything like that when you moved in with my brothers." He ran his hand through his hair and stared at the wall before looking back at Ema. "I'm sorry. You were upset that Subaru confessed to you and you wanted someone to talk to about it. Instead, I yelled at you like you did something wrong and you didn't. I'm just really worried about Subaru right now and can't get him off my mind."

Natsume looked at Ema like he expected her to say something, but nothing Ema said in that moment would be kind, so she stayed quiet.

"I'm sorry," he said again. "Why don't I take you home?"

"I can take the subway," Ema said. That had been the plan from the beginning anyway. Natsume still had a few more hours left of work.

"I know, but maybe we should talk."

"No."

Natsume looked hurt, but Ema didn't know what to do about it. The last thing she wanted was to be stuck in a car with Natsume. Of course, she also didn't want to stay mad at him either. Natsume wanted to clear the air and Ema certainly didn't want things to be awkward with someone she considered to be one of her closest friends. Why did things have to turn out this way?

Natsume sighed and slowly put his hands on Ema's shoulders, waiting to see if she would jerk away again. She wanted to, but forced herself to stay still.

"I think we need to talk. Why don't we go for a walk?"

"Fine," Ema agreed, staring at the floor instead of Natsume.

They were both quiet as they went outside the building. Ema wished Natsume would say something so they could get this over with. She certainly didn't know what he wanted to talk about and had nothing to say to him.

"Why are you so upset over being asked out?" Natsume asked gently when he finally broke the silence.

Ema's surprise at the question was enough to break through her anger. She sighed. "A lot of reasons. The first one being a respect thing. I've made it clear I'm not in Japan to date. Subaru acting like I'm secretly running around with a guy makes me angry. Not respecting the fact that I don't want to date makes me angry. Having someone I _live_ with who is related to everyone else I live with ask me out makes me angry. That situation would be so awkward on so many levels. And, call me old fashioned, but asking someone out you haven't spent much time with also makes me angry."

She was quiet for a moment before saying, "I meant what I said in your friend's apartment about believing you should date someone your good friends with. All I know about Subaru is that he loves basketball and works hard at practice. All he knows about me is that I'm a good cook and like hiking. That's not a relationship. That's not a good basis for dating someone."

"You learn about someone as you date them," Natsume said.

Ema glared at him. "That's one of way of doing this. As I just said," it took great effort not to grit her teeth as Ema said this, " _my_ preference is to date someone I already know and trust. Not to get to know someone as I date them."

Understanding flickered in Natsume's eyes. "You said you tried the other way and it didn't turn out well. You didn't just make that up for my coworkers, did you? That's what really happened." And seemed to be the reason behind why she didn't want to date.

Ema sighed. "No, I didn't make that up."

They were quiet again and Natsume turned them around back toward his building again. "I'm sorry, if Subaru and I were closer, I would try talking to him, but you know he won't listen to a word I say. I wish I could offer you more help."

Ema shrugged. "It is what it is. I'll have to find my own way of dealing with it."

"Are we okay?" Natsume asked.

"Yes," Ema said quietly. "I overreacted. I'm sorry."

"No need for you to apologize," Natsume told her. "You were upset and wanted a friend's help. If I'd reacted as I should have from the beginning, we never would have ended up in an argument. So, I'll see you?"

"Yeah," Ema said. "I'll see you later. Thanks, Natsume."

"Let me know how the audition turns out," Natsume told Ema. "They brought me in because of you, but that's not my department. I'm sure you'll find out before me whether you got the role or not."

Ema agreed and waved goodbye as she made her way to the train station.

~.~

"Subaru, can I talk to you?" Ema asked quietly that night. It hadn't been that long since their last conversation, but clearly this was bothering her more than she had thought. She wanted to get everything cleared up before it became more of an issue.

"Sure," Subaru said, glancing at Yusuke. The two of them were watching basketball together. "I'll be right back, okay, Yusuke?"

"Okay," Yusuke said, barely looking away from the screen. Ema was grateful for that. The last thing she needed was for Yusuke to see Ema and Subaru walking off together and misunderstand. There had been enough of that going around lately.

"What's up?" Subaru asked, looking nervous. They were again in the empty recreation room. Ema was grateful that in a home with so many people, they still had somewhere to go where they were alone. Although, maybe if there wasn't a place like that, their previous conversation wouldn't have happened in the first place.

"I don't want to be rude about your confession," Ema began, "but I want you to respect the fact that I don't want to date. It's not about finding the right guy. It's about me. Dating isn't something I'm ready for and it's not something I want right now." She waited for Subaru's response. There was more Ema could say, more she could explain, but Subaru hadn't earned the right to hear those things.

"Are you asking me to take back my confession?" Subaru asked awkwardly, staring at the floor.

"Essentially, yes. If you really care about my feelings, you will."

The expression on Subaru's face was almost enough to make Ema feel bad for her request. Almost.

"Okay," Subaru said quietly. "I'll back off."

"I'm not asking you to stop being my friend," Ema said gently. "I'm just asking you to respect my feelings."

Subaru nodded and Ema left, hoping things would be okay between them. She was shocked to find Fuuto in the hall.

"Sorry, didn't mean to overhear your conversation. I just got home." Since his apology didn't sound sarcastic, Ema nodded and continued on.

"Is it because of Carlos that you don't want to date?" Fuuto asked.

"No," Ema answered, not turning around. Carlos may have been a factor, but only a small one, especially after the conversation she'd had with Kaname.

"Some other jerk, then?" Fuuto asked.

Ema smiled a little and turned enough so Fuuto could see it. "Yeah. Some other jerk." Then she left.

~.~

Natsume felt awkward standing outside Meiji's gym after Subaru's latest game, but he felt it was his duty as Subaru's older brother to do this. Their other brothers weren't paying enough attention to know what was going, and wouldn't know what to say to Subaru regardless.

Ema had told Natsume that she asked Subaru to take back his confession and Subaru's performance on the court had taken a dive. He was sure that Ema's request had been hard for Subaru to hear, but he was sure it was what was best for Ema. It was probably what was best for Subaru as well.

"What are you doing here?" Subaru demanded upon stepping out of the locker room and finding Natsume. Perhaps after Meiji had just lost a game in part due to Subaru's poor performance wasn't the best time to have this conversation, but since Natsume so rarely knew where Subaru was, it was one of the few times Natsume knew he could catch his younger brother.

"We need to talk."

"No, we really don't," Subaru said, brushing past Natsume.

"You really upset her, you know," Natsume said. That stopped Subaru. Natsume had thought it might. Bringing up Subaru's poor showing on the court was what Subaru had expected. He hadn't thought Natsume would talk about Ema. "I don't live at the house, so hearing that Ema doesn't want to date was news to me. But you do live there. You knew she didn't want to date, and you asked her out anyway. You put Ema in a difficult position and made her uncomfortable in the place that's supposed to be her home."

"That's none of your business," Subaru spat, spinning around. His face was red, though Natsume didn't know if it was from anger or embarrassment.

"Isn't it?" Natsume asked. "When my friend comes to me upset because of something my little brother did, it's not my business?"

"She went to you?" Subaru asked, looking hurt and upset. At least it seemed to drain the edge off his anger.

"What's really important to you, Subaru?" Natsume asked. "What are your goals right now?" Subaru's face closed off, becoming stony as he crossed his arms. Of course, he wouldn't answer that question for Natsume.

"You can't be entirely faulted for what happened. You have zero experience with women, so your fumbling in the dark."

Subaru's face flamed red and he opened his mouth, but Natsume pushed him against a wall and held him there before he could say anything. "Put aside your pride and listen to me for once. If your relationship with Ema means anything to you, then just shut up for a minute. I don't know what you're feeling right now. I don't know what Ema means to you, but I do know that if you care about her, if you really care about her, then you'll put aside your own feelings to respect hers. You'll be more concerned about her pain than your own. Think for a minute about why she feels the way she does. Did that ever occur to you?"

Subaru relaxed and Natsume moved back. Obviously, the answer to that question was no. Subaru hadn't wondered for a moment why Ema didn't want to date.

"I'm not telling you to give up on her. I'm not telling you to ignore your feelings. If your feelings for Ema are real, then they can stand waiting until she _is_ ready to date. In the meantime, prove to her that you're a good man. Prove to her that you're someone she would want to be with."

"Do you care about Ema too?" Subaru asked.

Natsume hesitated before admitting, "Yes. But I won't push anything on her. I'll be her friend and wait and see if her feelings for me change. And if they don't, I'll still be her friend."

"I can do that too," Subaru said, straightening his shoulders. "And I'll prove to Ema that I'm a better man for her than you." Despite Subaru's challenging words, he didn't sound angry or upset. He only sounded determined.

Natsume smiled. "I look forward to it."

He turned to leave, but Subaru stopped him by calling his name. "Natsume? Thanks." Natsume smiled and waved to his little brother before walking away.


	39. Cabin

**A/N:** This will be the last chapter for now. Hopefully, I'll get a second wind for this story and complete it! Thank you so much for all the support I've gotten for this fic.

 **Chapter 39 Cabin**

"This trip should be nice and relaxing," Juli sighed as they walked into the small cabin.

"Yes, but I'm worried it was expensive to rent," Ema said glancing at Louis. Though the cabin was small, it was in an isolated patch of woods. There was a clearing nearby that would be perfect for watching the meteor shower that was supposed to happen that night.

"It wasn't expensive to rent it just for a night," Louis assured her. "And the best things to spend money on are the ones that lead to memories. There's research showing that the average purchased item only brings the buyer fifteen minutes of happiness. Things like vacations, though, bring happiness that lasts longer because after you have the memories." He smiled. "So, you see spending money on this is more valuable than spending it on something like clothes." 

"Okay," Ema gave in. "Thank you, Louis."

"Of course. This was your request for the next trip, wasn't it? Just the three of us?"

"Exactly!" Juli agreed, though he hadn't been around for that conversation. "This is what we should be doing more of. Trips with just the three of us."

"That's rude," Ema chastised Juli. "The other Asahina brothers enjoy these trips as well. You shouldn't be so eager to exclude them, Juli."

Juli pouted. "But trips are supposed to be relaxing. I can't relax with those wolves around."

Ema just managed not to flinch. None of the Asahina brothers had been wolves as he'd predicted, though two of them had confessed feelings for her. Juli had no idea about either confession and Ema planned to keep things that way. He was already antagonistic enough toward all the brothers except Louis. And Masaomi. Masaomi seemed to be growing on Juli. Even the little squirrel couldn't deny what a dependable and reliable man Masaomi was.

"No, these trips are supposed to be _adventures_ ," Ema said, emphasizing the word. "The whole point of Louis and I going around Japan, whether we're shopping or traveling, was to have adventures in Japan. _This_ trip is supposed to be relaxing to give us a little break." And because she needed some space. Too much had been going on lately. Some of it good as well as some of it stressful, but it was still a lot.

Juli grumbled something under his breath, but Ema ignored him. She also missed the concerned look Louis gave her.

~.~

"Wow," Juli breathed as he stared up at the night sky. The three of them were lying on a blanket in the clearing as they watched the meteor shower. "You don't see the stars like this in the city."

"Uh-uh," Louis agreed.

Ema was silent, just enjoying the view and being in the company of people she loved. She hadn't seen the stars like this since she'd gone camping with her father in South America. She missed it and him, but watching the stars tonight helped her feel a little closer to him.

It wasn't too long before Ema heard the soft sound of Juli snoring. It made her smile. He never could stay up late much past 10:30. He always fell asleep during her late night gaming sessions.

"So," Louis began, quietly enough that it didn't wake Juli, "You were saying you needed a break?"

The question was asked lightly, as though the answer wasn't terribly important. It was Louis' way of asking the question while being non-intrusive. Ema could answer and relieve her worries, or she could choose not to answer. She knew Louis would be fine either way and she appreciated that.

"A lot's happened in the last little bit," Ema said, after some thought. Traveling with her father, the only ones she'd felt she could confide her worries to were Hikaru and Arisa, but they had both been far away, both had concerns of their owns, and Ema hadn't wanted to make them worry over her too much. Plus, they hadn't actually been there. Having someone there in person who Ema could confide to meant the world to her.

She told him about Azusa being cold to her, and then confessing his feelings. About her anger at Kaname, and then him helping her feel better and overcome something that had been a problem for a long time. And Subaru's confession and how much it upset her, about how it was different from Azusa's because Subaru had tried to push Ema into accepting his feelings where Azusa just wanted to explain his behavior. About getting upset with Natsume.

"That is a lot in a small period of time," Louis said, laying his hand on top of Ema's. "I'm sorry I didn't notice you were upset."

Ema huffed a laugh. "There's nothing for you to apologize for, Louis. Even if you had noticed, I don't know what I would have said. I've felt a lot of emotions over all those things, and some of the emotions, even I'm not sure what they are. Sometimes, you need time to sort through your thoughts before you can talk about them with anyone."

"That's true," Louis agreed. "Though it's important to know when you should sort through things on your own, and when you should bring others into help, even if it's just for them to be a listening ear. I don't want you to let your stresses pile up until they're too much, okay? It doesn't have to be me you talk to, but I don't want you to let yourself get overwhelmed because you feel you would be bothering or burdening someone else with your troubles. There's a lot of people among the Asahinas, or your friends at school, who would be happy to hear your troubles."

"Okay," Ema said quietly. Burdening others with her problems wasn't something Ema generally did, but she could see Louis' point. Perhaps if she had told someone about Subaru's confession and how much it upset her, she wouldn't have ended up blowing up at Natsume.

"What about you?" Ema asked, shifting so she could see Louis. "Is everything going okay in your life right now?"

"No complaints," he promised her, turning his head to smile at her. "Everything is going well at the salon right now. I've gained a lot of celebrity clients thanks to Fuuto. He likes to tell his friends how amazing I am at hair."

Ema blinked, surprised Fuuto would praise anyone. "That's really nice of him."

"It is," Louis said. "I know Fuuto can be difficult to get along with, but he does have his good sides."

"He does," Ema agreed quietly, turning back to watch the meteor shower again.

~.~

"This breakfast looks delicious, Chi!" Juli exclaimed as Ema laid dishes before him and Louis.

"It does," Louis said. "Though I'm sorry to make you cook on a trip that's supposed to be relaxing."

"Cooking is relaxing for me," Ema assured Louis. "It's something I enjoy, especially when I'm cooking for people I care about."

"Good," Louis said. "You know, with the three of us staying in the woods in this cabin and you cooking breakfast, it almost feels like we're a little family."

Ema glanced at Louis in surprise, but he was eating his eggs with the same peaceful look he usually wore.

"You said it," Juli emphatically agreed. "I wish it was always like this. Life would be so much simpler."

Ema laughed. With Louis saying it, she didn't have to worry about any hidden meaning behind his words. "It's like we're playing house, like I would do when I was a kid. This cabin is almost small enough to be a playhouse."

"Right!" Juli exclaimed, jumping on the table. "You two are siblings and I'm…er…you're protective guardian of the woods!"

Ema laughed again at the title Juli gave himself. She really had needed this getaway and someone to talk to. She just wished there was something she could do for Louis in return.

~.~

Ema was surprised to find Subaru waiting outside her door when she and Louis got back from their overnight trip.

"You see, Chi?" Juli hissed from her shoulder. "These wolves spring the moment you get back home. They can't even stand for you to be away for a day these guys are too dangerous!"

They were too close to Subaru for Ema to say anything to Juli, so she stayed quiet. She feared Subaru might say something to set Juli off, though. Juli might launch himself at Subaru if he even hinted at having feelings for Ema.

"Hey, Ema," Subaru said, looking awkward. "Did you and Louis have a good time?"

"And what about me, you jerk?" Juli asked. "Don't care if I had a good time too, huh?"

"Um, yeah. The meteor shower was really pretty and we had a good view from where we were staying."

"That's good. I'm glad you had a good time." Suddenly, Subaru straightened and looked Ema in the eye, no longer appearing awkward. "I wanted to apologize for what happened before. You were right that I wasn't respecting your feelings and I'm sorry for that."

Ema was stunned. This certainly wasn't what she'd been expecting.

"Like you said, I want us to still be friends. That relationship is important to me and I don't want something that I did or said to mess it up."

"What?" Juli said looking from Ema to Subaru. "What? What? What on Earth is he taking about, Chi? Still want to be friends? What happened? Did he do something stupid? Did he make a move on you?!"

"If you're feeling up to it, I was wondering if you wanted to go hiking with me and Yusuke today. He seemed really disappointed he wasn't able to go hiking on the trip we took a while ago."

Ema smiled. "I think that's a great idea, Subaru."

She ignored Juli's vehement hisses that it was not a good idea as she put him in her room.


End file.
